Devil Trigger
by RubyStar07
Summary: Emma Payton has spent years hunting down the man responsible for the death of her parents. Having mastered the highest degree of alchemy, she is sent under the care of Roy Mustang. How will the two get on? What secrets lie in Emma's dark past that she has seemingly forgotten? And how will the appearance of this new alchemist ultimately change the fate of the world? Roy x OC
1. Chapter 1

_**(Chapter 1 – The Elemental Alchemist)**_

_**~Emma~**_

_Idiots, pests, pain in the back! Don't think you're getting rid of me that easily!_

Furiously, I slammed my fist against the back of the driver's chair, feeling the anger and irritation rise up inside me. _How_ _dare they treat me like some disposable trash, those vermin!_

"Ouch!" My brother, Chris, complained in the driving seat, rubbing his backside which had fallen victim to my fist. "Watch where you're punching, Emma, you could have cracked my spine you know!" He sighed and passed me a sack from the front seat. "There, use that to vent out your anger."

I happily accepted it; there was no other way for me to calm down unless I've done a few punches. I looked at the poor unfortunate bag, the humiliation and annoyance building up inside of me. It was as if the bag was also making fun of me, along with the stupid military. Grabbing it steadily in my left hand, my right one curled into a fist and slammed right into its face.

"Do you need to be so childish about all of this?" Chris said; he reached for a cigarette in his pocket, leaving the steering wheel untended. The car charged violently through the streets, dancing madly among the oncoming traffic.

"Watch where you're going!" I leaned forward and grabbed the wheel in his place, stopping the car safely by the side of the road.

He gave me a sheepish smile, "Oops."

"That's an understatement."

"Alright, alright." He waved his hands in the air, admitting defeat before starting the car again. "Don't change the subject; do you have to be so angry? Aren't you overreacting a bit here?"

I crossed my arms in front of my chest and sighed, "Overreacting? _Overreacting_! Honestly, you're no different from the military!" My head rested against the cool window frame as I stared up at the grey sky. "Do you have any idea how humiliated I was? They _fired_ me! Right there, in front of hundreds of people. I was treated like trash, tossed away when I'm no longer of any use. And you're telling me to just accept and step down gracefully? Don't joke around!"

"You were '_transferred'_, not '_fired_." Chris said, "And it was totally your fault, if you recall. You _did_ destroy three government blocks for goodness sake, Em."

I pursed my lips, speechless at his remark. It was true, I may have _accidentally_ took down three government issued buildings whilst I was on mission this month, but … but … no one was hurt! And I did complete the mission; don't I get any credit for that? I was annoyed at my sudden inability to argue and my competitive spirit rose up, I wasn't going to lose.

Raising my head high, I cleared my throat, "Same difference! Still, I will prove to them how wrong they were for sending me away. In time, they'll be the ones begging to take me back!"

"Yes, yes." Chris rolled his eyes mockingly, holding back a laugh, "of course they would. Whatever you say, Em."

"You don't believe me, do you? Well, I'll prove you wrong too!" I said angrily, sulking in the back.

Chris sighed, "Your childish ways aside … more importantly, this will be your first day at Central, so you'd better make a good impression of yourself."

I nodded half-heartedly, my eyes following a pair of starlings soaring in the sky. A sense of nostalgia washed over me, and I remembered how there was always a starling nest in the forest behind our childhood house … it was more than a decade ago, but the memory was still as clear as crystal. I don't want to forget these memories, but, no matter how hard I try, there has always been a missing piece of memory. The memory of what happened on that terrible night…

"Are you even listening to me, Emma?" Chris interrupted my thoughts, bringing me back to reality. "Jeez, you need to listen to your elder brother more often. Sometimes, I think you don't even consider me as your brother."

I looked at him astonishingly; no wonder he seemed a bit down lately. I knelt down on my seat and hugged his shoulders, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"How can you even think that, Chris?" I whispered, "You're my most beloved brother, my only family member. You're the most important person in my life, and nothing is ever going to change that."

He smiled and patted my head, reminding me of the days when we were kids. "I'm glad to hear that … even though …"

"You're worried … it's about that secret you said you were hiding from me, right?" I asked bluntly, "You still won't tell me? Even after all these years? I'm not a kid anymore, Chris; I'll be nineteen in a few months. I can handle anything."

He smiled weakly, "I'm sorry … I just … don't want you to … hate me."

Through the reflection of the window, I thought that, for a split second, brother's eyes were tainted with a hint of sadness; it was so painful that it almost broke my heart.

Outside, the rain began to fall from the dense clouds; drop by drop, it flowed down the side of the window like hundreds of tiny streams. The city looked so blurry and vulnerable through the curtains of rain.

I closed my eyes, and wondered that if one day, the rain would be able to wash away the burden Chris always carried with him. The secret that, according to him, cannot be shared with anyone. Most of all me.

* * *

_**~Roy~**_

The word looked incredibly small through the small stained windows of a run-down café; the sky was a dark shade of grey, and the smell of wet dirt filled my nose through the breeze flowing in from the half-opened front door. I turned my head towards the window and stared blindly into the rain, reminding myself of a past I wanted to forget. This place was full of memories, some good, but mostly bad. I closed my eyes and let the scenes play out before my eyes as if it was happening again…

"_Are you even listening to me, Roy?" _

_A sharp, feminist voice invaded my thoughts and I had no choice but to register her existence. I sighed, turning back to face my company. Sitting across the table from me, cross legged, was a well dressed young woman. Glamour and beauty seemed to just flow naturally off her, as almost every pair of eyes in the café was checking her out. _

"_As I was saying…" She said casually, either unaware of the looks she was getting or rather enjoying it for her own benefits. _

_I turned my head away, uninterested. "Why did you bring me out today, Lilian?"_

"_Hmm … 'why' … you ask," Lilian smiled mischievously and grabbed hold of my arm, "Well, because you're my boyfriend, of course! Do I need a reason to ask you out on a date?"_

_I remained silent, not because I agreed with what she was saying; I was simply not interested in any of this. Sensing that she would not get a reply out of me, she stood up and sat down next to me; instinctively, I moved closer to the window. Obviously, she seemed to be offended by my move and placed her hand on my arm._

_Nothing came out from my mouth, I simply pushed her off me and stood up, gesturing her to move. _

"_Do you really have to be this way towards me, Roy?" Her voice rose to a dangerous tone. A lightning flashed across the sky outside; a storm was coming._

_I didn't reply, instead, I just stared out at the window and watched the passing pedestrians with great interest, as if I was living their lives. Lilian grabbed my wrist in her hand and I felt her grip tightening around them, after a while, she finally let go._

"_This is why I can't stand you, Roy." She said quietly, her tears rising up in her eyes. "Why are you always so cold? You are my boyfriend, and yet … I don't even feel anything coming from you…" I felt the tension coming off from her; Lilian slammed her hands on the table and stood up, face to face with me. "Okay!" Her voice was full of anger, loud enough for everyone in the café to stop and observe us. "So I slept with another guy! There, I said it. But you already knew that. Are you happy now, that I've said it out loud?"_

_Still I kept my silence, my eyes following the swift movements of the rain as if they were the most fascinating event on this planet. This seemed to fuse Lilian's anger even more._

"_You see what I mean? You're always like this!" She shouted loudly, "I slept with _anotherguy_, Roy! Shouldn't you get mad or at least show some emotions towards me?"_

_I could no longer ignore the drama going on right in front of me, so before I was going to explode with the annoyance of her voice, "What do you want me to say, Lilian?" I questioned impatiently._

_She was in so much shock that her eyes were bulging out; I could feel her shaking with anger beside me and I wondered if I had said too much. Then she was crying all of the sudden, her tears springing out like streams of water, running down her rosy cheeks. Now people are starting to murmur among themselves, pointing fingers towards us._

"_I thought I told you not to cry, Lilian."_

"_Why … why are you so distant towards me?" Her voice cracked, "Do you want to know the reason I slept with him?" She didn't wait for my reply, probably because she knew she wasn't going to get one. "It's because you're always so distant, being together with you … I was so lonely … I didn't even know why you went out with me in the first place! You're so cold, Roy! That's why I cheated on you … to … to get some reaction into you, alright? And I'm sorry … I'm … sorry, Roy."_

_I kept staring into the distance, everything dimmed out against the drowning sound of the rain. I simply nodded, acknowledging the fact that I heard her. _

"_Let's break up." I said calmly after a long pause, realising that everyone was waiting for me to say something._

_A muffled sob escaped from her lips and she ran out of the café, the sound of her tears hitting the ground trailing behind her. As the café door slammed shut, the customers began to talk among themselves._

"_He didn't have to say that…" One whispered to the other._

"_Yeah … that poor girl … she said she was sorry…"_

"_It was his fault to begin with …"_

"_Who does he think he is anyway … treating the girl like that…?"_

"Excuse me, Sir?"

A feminine voice pulled me back to reality; I looked up and saw a waitress standing nervously at my table, holding a cup of fresh coffee. I thanked her quietly, grateful for her interrupting my train of thought since I did not want to dig up those old events. They should just stay buried, along with everything else that happened in the past.

I finished my drink quietly, paid the bill before stepping out of the café. Hawkeye stood by the door way, and I gestured for our departure.

The memories still hurt deep down, more so than I wanted to admit. It was like ripping open an old wound that has not yet fully healed, and it took a lot for me to pretend I was not bothered by it.

I didn't know if I should have been happy about the fact that I managed to keep my emotions from running wild or not. The rain kept falling down, each drop tattooing the guilt and pain deep into me.

_But that's something I will never show to anyone; _I thought silently to myself_, it is a sign of weakness, Roy, and you must never show your weak side. Not to anyone. _

* * *

_**~Emma~**_

"Come _on_!" Chris said impatiently, grabbing my wrist in his hand and dragged me through the crowded streets. "We're going to be late!"

I ignored his remark; the weather had cleared off and everywhere I looked they were filled with life, something I don't see very often. There were bakeries, and shops, and markets, and street circus; everything was so strange to my eyes which had grown accustomed to the four-sided walls of confinement.

"But … Chris…" I complained, trying to free myself from his hold to take a closer look at the market.

He sighed, "Look … I know you never got out that much … but we're in a hurry so I would really appreciate it if you could cooperate."

"Humph!" I turned my head away defiantly, "_Never got out much_? I was practically locked up inside a white room with nothing but a table and a bed!" I looked down, "Why was I not allowed to go outside apart from the few missions I was sent on, Chris?"

"I already told you…"

"…That it's for my own good, right?" I finished his sentence; Chris' face seemed to be pained, and I know he blame himself for it. I still remember how he put up a fight ten years ago when the military decided to lock me up. Upon seeing that wounded expression, I smiled and grabbed his arm. "Don't worry about it, brother. I don't blame you … I'm fine, really."

He patted my head lightly and looked away; I knew the burden in his heart has not been completed resolved. I sighed, but my attention was immediately caught by something happening in the corner of my eyes.

A large build man was standing in a narrow, dark alleyway, leaning over a small figure backed against the wall. I realised that the figure was actually a young boy; and there was a pouch of money in the larger man's right hand.

"Tis all you've got, kid?" The man mumbled, his hand grabbing the child's arm roughly. "Not even enough to pay off the interest!"

The kid was trembling all over his body, "I'm sorry … I'm sorry…"

The man raised his fist and slammed it against the wall; then he raised it once more and swung it into the air; the boy closed his eyes, a small sob escaping from his mouth as he waited for the impact against his face.

I couldn't stomach any more of this, finally shaking free from my brother's grip, I sprinted off the ground and ran towards the little boy. I grabbed the boy and pushed him behind me with my right hand, while my left shot up and intervened with the man's angry fist. The impact was lighter than I thought it would be, and I was surprised at the man's lack of strength. No … that's not it, a dent was made on the wall where he had previously punched. It must have been all that training … I thought to myself … maybe I'm stronger than I thought I was.

The low growl from the man brought me back from my own little world, and I slapped his arm away harshly.

"You little punk!" The man seemed awfully pissed off now, "Didn't you mother tell you to pick fights with people your own size?"

I smiled mischievously and got into a fighting stance, "Sorry, but I grew up in the military." I dodged his second attack swiftly, bending to the side before lifting my fist up against his jaw, slamming him backwards. People were starting to gather around us, and amongst those faces, I saw Chris rolling his eyes and pointing at his watch angrily.

I threw him a grin; _I won't be long, promise_. I mouthed those words to him, then turning back to my opponent, "I'm in a hurry, so unfortunately I don't have the time to play with you all day."

Before he had time to recover from my punch, I straightened up and closed my eyes. My mind went over what Master taught me; concentrate, come on, Emma, concentrate…

A gust of wind surrounded my body, creating a vortex where I stood. People were murmuring between themselves, I could sense their tension and fear. The wind grew stronger and finally, when I knew I had complete control, I opened my eyes.

"You-You're…an alchemist!" The man before said through this gritted teeth and stood up from his spot. "So … you can control the wind, huh? Not bad, kid, but it takes more than some pathetic breeze to take me."

I smiled innocently, "Who said that was my only speciality?" I concentrated again and suddenly the sky turned dark. Everyone looked up at the massive clouds gathering overhead. Sparks occurred around my arms and I looked up at the man once more.

"Now, be a good boy and promise you'll never bother this kid again…" I said coolly, lightening sparks surrounded my body and I reached a hand towards him, "Or who knows how much voltage your brain can take …"

"Emma!" Chris called from the crowd, "We're going to be late!"

I sighed, "I would love to fry you right here and now, but you see, we're in a hurry, so why don't you just apologise to the boy and get it over with."

The man stood up, his legs shaking violently and collapsed in front of the boy. He bowed his head and apologised. The boy stood there in shock, glancing at me with admiration and curiosity.

"Are you okay?" I asked the little boy, he nodded, his bright eyes studying me.

"Who-who are you?" The man gathered the rest of his strength and asked through his shaking voice.

I turned away and walked towards Chris, "Emma Payton … you'd do well to remember that the next time you threaten someone." I heard the people gasp behind me; so I'm that famous already, huh?

Chris grabbed hold of me, "What do you think you're doing? We promised to keep a low profile here, and now everyone in the city knows about us."

I threw him an innocent look. "I couldn't just leave him alone…besides…" I looked back at the poor man trying to run away from the crowd. "Remember what Master taught us?"

"Do not pity your enemy, do not become compassionate." Chris repeated Master's words, "But that's no reason to blow our cover!"

I crossed my arms and sighed, "Right, right, whatever you say, _Sir_."

"Are you making fun of me?"

"No…of course not…_Sir_…" I snickered quietly.

"You are, aren't you!"

I laughed and ran up ahead; but I stopped in my tracks as someone suddenly stood in my path. It was a man in his twenties; he was wearing a military uniform which were completely drenched. His hair was dark black, like the Reaper, and his eyes stared at me for a long time, as if studying me.

"What?" I said impatiently.

"I saw what you did back there," He spoke, his voice smooth and cold. "You shouldn't be so reckless."

Chris caught up with me and observed the stranger. "What's wrong?" He whispered to me.

I said nothing; the stranger looked at me quietly, and finally he turned away.

"I hate people who show off like you." He walked away, throwing his words like daggers back at me.

I was immediately crowded with anger and irritation, "Hey-What did you say?!"

He waved his hand back as if laughing at me; I charged at him only to be held back by Chris.

"Calm down, Emma. We can't make another scene."

I shrugged him loose but the stranger had already disappeared into the crowd; I breathed heavily, my chest rising and falling as I tried to compose myself. Who does he think he is anyway? I thought angrily, stomping my feet loudly against the ground. If I ever see you again…

"Emma," Chris said in a begging voice, "could we please get a move on, we're already half an hour behind schedule!"

"Coming," I said, still humiliated by that stranger just now. But I was worried … maybe I overdid it a bit back there. I mean, I didn't have to go all out.

No, Emma. I told myself sternly. Don't forget what Master taught you.

_Do not become compassionate, do not become attached, Emma, that is your greatest weakness. _

* * *

"Wow…" I said slowly, my head raised high as I tried to take all of this in; "_This is Central_?!" The building standing in front of me was massive; no wonder it's the HQ for the military, anyone would be patronised by the its enormous size.

"Come on now, no drooling." Chris walked in front of me, and I realised that my jaw was dropped down so wide that it was starting to hurt. I snapped the shut quickly, biting my tongue in the process but I was too fascinated by all of this to notice the pain.

The inside of the building was of no exception; glamorous and shining with brightness. The corridors were long and wide, enough for at least two cars to pass by side by side. There were pillars standing on either side of the hallway, grand and solemn, standing like giants supporting the roof of the building. I stared in shock, not taking into account of where we're actually going until Chris suddenly stopped in front of me.

"We're here." He gave me an exciting look and knocked on the door politely.

"Come in."

A male's voice rang in from inside, and I couldn't help but contemplate on the familiarity of that voice. I opened the door and stepped inside followed by Chris.

The room was big as well; it looked more like a communal lounge than an office. There was a rectangular table located at the far end by the windows, and a figure was sitting on the chair behind the table, turned away from us.

"This is your new boss," Chris whispered in my ear quietly, giving me a nudge. "Come on … at least bow your head or say something."

I did as I was told, "Excuse me, sir. My name is Emma Payton, and I've just been transferred here from Opas."

"Yes, I've heard quite a lot about you." The man spoke again in that familiar voice, yet I couldn't quite grasp where I've heard it before. Then he finally turned his chair around, facing us.

I looked up; the one who was going to be my boss was just a man in his early twenties … wait … dark black hair like a Reaper … cold voice … and eyes piercing as if he could see your soul …

"Ah!" I jumped away from him, finally remembering. "You're-you're that guy from this morning!"

He cocked his head to the side, "I see we've already met, Miss Show-off." He smirked, looking pretty amused with himself.

"What … Did … You … Say?" I breathed heavily like a bull ready to attack, but I decided otherwise. "I see … so you're going to be my boss from now on…"

"Unfortunately, yes." He replied cheerfully, obviously trying to fuse my anger even more. "Although it's going to be a difficult task, since I will be training a newly discovered breed of carnivores."

It took me a second to realise that he was referring to me, then I lashed out at him, my body taking control of my rationality. It wasn't until I heard the door open behind me did I stop in my attack.

A boy with golden hair stood behind me, and behind him, stood a huge suit of armour that looked at least twice the size of that mini squirt at the front.

"Ah, just in time." The man who has just become my object of hatred crossed his arms, "Edward and Alphonse Elric, I want you to meet Emma Payton."

I stared at the two people at the back, observing them carefully. The short one walked towards me and stretched out his hand, "I'm Ed, that's my _younger_ brother, Al."

I noticed how he put a strong emphasis on the "younger" and couldn't help but laugh. "Younger, huh?"

"What do you mean by that?" Ed seemed to be extra sensitive about my comment and if it wasn't for his _younger_ brother Al holding him back, he would probably have charged at me.

"Oh my, looks like you and shortie here aren't getting along very well." My new boss said with a scarily pleasant smile.

"Shut up!" We both replied in perfect sync, much to both of our annoyance.

I heard Chris clearing his throat behind us, and I gave him a sheepish grin, finally realising that we were not the only ones in the room.

Chris turned towards the man behind the desk. "I apologise for my younger sister's inexcusable behaviour."

"Hey!" I tugged at his arm, "Why are you apologising? I didn't do anything wrong…" My voice trailed off as I saw the stern look in Chris' eyes.

"Now, now, let's all try to get along." The man spoke, "My name is Colonel Roy Mustang, and looks like you'll be under my supervision from now on, Emma Payton. Or should I say … the Elemental Alchemist."

I threw him a surprised look, "You know me?" I questioned them, looking at Chris for answers who just shrugged.

Roy stared at me with great interest, "Of course. But the Elric brothers here probably don't. Sorry to say, Edward, from today on, you are no longer the youngest alchemist in this country, technically speaking." He paused, giving them time to digest on that new piece of information. "Emma Payton is. She has been out of the country for a while, 9 years to be exact, which is why _technically_ you were the youngest alchemist." He raised his head and looked at me with a straight face. "You are certainly a fascinating person."

"Don't try to flatter me, _Colonel_." I gritted my teeth.

"Emma Payton…" He continued, talking more to the Elrics than to me. "The Elemental Alchemist. You became an alchemist at the mere age of seven, and often referred to as the master of alchemy among the military. A child prodigy. It seems that you have control over all elements of nature, as I witnessed earlier on, when you used it on that poor man."

"He deserved it." I said coldly, "And yes, I can command elements at will. For example…" I closed my eyes and concentrated on the voices and whispers of the planet. Then, feeling a rush of power surging inside of me, I opened my eyes and stretched out my hand.

The room was suddenly submerged in a lake of water that came out of nowhere. Finally, I lowered my hand and the water began to evaporate into the air, leaving no trace of wetness behind.

Roy stared at me for a long time, as if I was a fascinating new species he has just discovered. But what worried me was that his eyes weren't joking like before, they were serious.

"That's some impressive powers you've got there." He said calmly, "Tell me, Payton, why is it that you seem to be able to perform alchemy without a transmutation circle?"

I shrugged, "Is there anything wrong with that?"

"You have heard of a transmutation circle before … right?" Roy looked worried when my face remained blank from confusion. He sighed distressingly, "Alchemists need that in order to perform their alchemy … unless," he looked over to the Elric brothers, "unless they've opened The Gate."

"The Gate?" I was even more confused than before, and Roy's worried expressions made me think there was something wrong with me.

He narrowed his eyes at me as if verifying whether or not I was telling the truth. "Interesting … you can leave now, Payton. Edward will show you around, and here's your room key." He threw a small key chain towards me.

"Oh and … Chris, was it?" I heard Roy speak behind me. "Do you mind staying behind for a while? Don't worry, Payton, I won't keep him long."

Chris and I exchanged a worrying glance and I followed after the Elrics out of the room. The door closed behind me and I heard the lock click.

I turned and found Ed studying me carefully; it startled me a little and I jumped back. "Wh-what?"

He straightened up and crossed his arms, "Nothing … come on, I don't have all day to show you around!" He didn't wait for me and carried on by himself down the long corridors.

"You little brat!" I chased after him, and even though my heart was light with excitement of this new place, something troubled me greatly.

I remember hearing something about "The Gate" from my mother when I was little, and something about equivalent change, that to gain something you must sacrifice something of the equal value.

So how am I able to perform the most difficult alchemy, without making the slightest sacrifice in return?

* * *

_**~Roy~**_

Something was not quite right; I have never heard of an alchemist capable of commanding all the elements of nature. Normally, each alchemist possesses one quality, like ice, or in my case, fire. To think that such great powers lie in the hands of a child!

"I suppose you're wondering about my sister's powers, Colonel." Chris spoke, his voice stern.

I nodded, "You know something." It wasn't a question, because I could tell he was hiding something.

"My sister has always been that way, ever since she was a child." He said slowly, "The day she was born, blinding lights appeared from the sky and the Earth trembled as dozens of roots sprung up from the ground. The lake beside our house flooded the surrounding land and not too far off where we lived, there was a forest fire caused by a stray lightening stroke. You can probably guess that it was my sister who caused all of that. But her powers have always been … restricted in a way. She could never utilise them completely until … well, let's just say that something happened and now, she has unlimited control over them and can perform alchemy even without a circle."

"From what I've read, she joined the military at the age of _seven_." I said, staring down at the paperwork unbelievably.

Chris laughed coldly, "_'Joined'_, heh, you could say that. But the term 'being locked up' is probably more accurate." His face twisted with pain, "She went to the military out of her own free will, and yet they detained her in a room, only allowing her to go out on missions. Naturally, they were scared of her powers. Even now, which is why they transferred her to Central."

I listened closely; my interest in the girl grew stronger by the minute. "So they want me to keep an eye on her?"

"You _are_ feared here as the Flame Alchemist."

I laughed, "That's certainly true. Well, I suppose I'll have to keep an eye on her for now. She's certainly an interesting person to watch over." I stood up and walked towards the door, gesturing him that our conversation was now finished.

"One more thing, Colonel." Chris said as I walked past him, "Emma … she may act tough and proud, but she is also incredibly vulnerable. A part of her memory is missing from twelve years ago, and when she finally remembers it, I fear she will be more at risk than ever. So please … look after my sister."

I stared at him strangely, but I thought against the idea to pursue this matter any further. I nodded and he looked relieved by it.

As we went our separate ways out of the room, I realised something important. But when I turned around to ask Chris, he was already gone.

I didn't know what he meant then, but I could tell he was serious about what he said, and that there is more to Emma Payton's background than he's letting on.

This was getting more and more interesting, but at the same time, dangerous. There was still time to turn back, I told myself then laughed at my stupidity. No way was I going to let an opportunity like this pass me by.

* * *

_**~Emma~**_

"So…" My eyes twitched with irritation as I stood in front of my dormitory room, "why the hell are _you_ in my dorm?!"

Roy was standing against the wall outside of my room, he gave me a smirk, "Starting from today, I'm going to be your new neighbour." He walked to the room beside mine and pushed his key into the lock. "Let's all get along."

"Are you kidding?!" I shouted angrily, "This is a female only dormitory!"

He shrugged, "Well, you're a dangerous specimen, I'm sure they'll understand that I can't let you out of my sight." He chuckled mockingly which added to my rising temper; "Don't worry; you're not my type so I won't try anything on you while you're asleep."

My hands twitched on the doorknob, no way was I going to let him humiliate me like this. I charged into his room furiously, and my hand formed a fist as I swung my arm at him. "You−" My voice faded as I tripped over something on the floor and I knew I was going to fall. Oh no, I realised that the floor was made of hard granite, if I fall now it'll surely hurt a lot. I closed my eyes and waited for the impact as my body fell through the air; amidst the chaos, I heard someone call out my name.

_Crash_.

The impact hurt less than I had expected; the cold marble floor was instead replaced by something warm. I gathered the courage to open my eyes and looked down.

As I had thought, my body did not come into contact with the floor at all; instead, I was lying on top of something, or _someone_, to be exact. I looked up, and saw Roy's eyes staring up, his body under mine.

"Ouch," he complained but I was too shocked to say something.

I vaguely remember Roy running towards me as I was flying through the air; did he really save me? He must have known it would hurt a lot to fall; yet, he still pulled me away.

Roy stood up and pulled a stunned me towards him, "Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?"

I could feel his body heat flowing into me even through the layers of clothing we both wore. It was a warm feeling that embraced me wholly. I could hear his heart beat pounding quickly against his chest, and my heart too began to beat at the same rhythm.

It was the first time, if I remember correctly, that anyone has held me in my entire life. It was a strange feeling that left me completely vulnerable and flustered. I pushed him away quickly, regaining my common sense.

"I … I hate you!" My face was probably as red as a ripe tomato, and the words just slipped out of my mouth without going through my brain. I ran back into my room and locked the door behind me, panting as I leaned against the closed door. For the first time in my life, I was truly confused. All these strange feelings were rushing into me creating a huge vortex of puzzlement.

Why is my face so red? Why did I say I hated him? He gets on my nerves, and he's annoying, but … I don't hate him, do I?

And why … is my heart beating so fast against my chest that I feel like it's about to explode?

* * *

**A/N. Hello everyone! This is my first fanfiction. I was bored and had nothing else to do. I'd love to hear your comments so please review. If a lot of people enjoy it then I might write more :)**

**Also, for this story's sake I'm going to change things slightly - Roy is going to be in his mid twenties otherwise the age gap between them is going to be a slight problem later on.  
**

**Hope you've enjoyed it and I'll update soon!  
**

**xxx  
**


	2. Chapter 2

_**(Chapter 2 – The Town in the Far West)**_

_**~Emma~**_

_A sea of fire illuminated the black sky. _

"_Mama!" I shouted through my hoarse voice, "Papa?" There was destruction everywhere I turned: window shards scattered around on the floor, stained with dried blood; the roof had caved in, revealing the unforgiving sky above; the flames roared angrily, eating away everything in its path._

_There was nowhere to run, to hide, to at least protect myself from this abomination._

_A thud sounded behind me; I looked back and saw the body of what used to be my father lying as still as a corpse on the floor; amidst the raging fire. I tried to reach out to him, to hide behind him from the horrors of reality, but my legs wouldn't move._

_A pair of trembling arms held me close; I looked up and saw Mama, kneeling in front of me with her arms wrapped protectively around my waist. _

"_Mama?" I clung on to her, afraid of what might happen if I let go._

_Shadows moved swiftly among the red sea, and they were in front of us within seconds. A dark, tall man moved forward, standing before us with a sharpened sword in his hand._

_Then everything became silent; it was as if all the sound had gone out from this world. I watched as I saw the body of my Mama falling forward, face down against the firing ground. I stared at the pool of redness which seemed to emerge from under her body. _

_There was now no obstacles between the man and me; I tried to scream but my voice was shaking too much to make a sound; I wanted to run away, every nerve in my body screamed at me to do so but I couldn't find the strength. The man knelt down and grabbed my jaw in his hand forcefully, making sure I was unable to make a sound._

"_If you want to live…" He spoke, his voice thick and dangerous, "Forget about me. Forget my face, my voice, everything."_

_And he was gone. I was the only one left amongst the sea of blood, of fire, and corpses of what used to be my family…_

_I finally screamed._

I woke up to the sound of a thunderous noise, as if someone was screaming loudly in my ear. I opened my eyes and finally realised that I was the one screaming, I shut my mouth immediately, and deafening sound disappeared.

My body was shaking violently as if I was cold even though it was still early autumn. Sunlight reflected warmly on my bed, and the beautiful melody of the birds outside was reassured me that everything was just a dream. I breathed out in relief, and wiped the sweat from my forehead.

It has been … what … ten years now, since I've had that dream? I leaned against the bed frame and closed my eyes, thinking back on the nightmare. I remember how I'd always have this same dream ever since that incident all those years ago, and how brother would come into my room and tell me that everything is going to be okay.

That was ten years ago. Ever since I've joined the military, I have not had this dream even once. And now … what does this mean? My fist clenched into a ball and I slammed it against my bed angrily.

Maybe it's a sign … I thought to myself. Maybe … it means that the day when I will finally get my revenge is drawing to a close. I was getting excited just by thinking about it; Father, Mother, watch me in heaven. I will make sure that your death was not in vain, and I won't rest until I have killed _him_ myself.

But I realised that I must put my revenge aside for now, since when I glanced at the clock, it was already eleven in the morning.

"Crap!" I sprinted out of bed and rushed to get changed into my new uniform. Please don't let me be late, please don't let me be late. Who knows what that _demon_ would do to me if I was late?!

Then memories from last night suddenly flashed back into my mind … when that so-called demon saved me from a terrible fall … and that strange feeling I felt back then…

I slapped myself mentally; that's enough, Emma. Don't forget what you're here to do.

That's right … I can't forget what I came here to do, nothing else matters. For now, I'll just have to endure my time with that monster until I fulfil my vengeance on a certain person. I can't afford to be distracted by things like what happened last night.

I finally got ready and rushed out. The door slamming shut behind me, locking away all these complicated feelings. It was the only way I could complete my mission, to not become sidetracked by emotions and other trivial things. Because, I told myself quietly, _you did not live for this long just to have a normal life, Emma. You survived only for one reason and that one alone._

_To kill the person who destroyed everything you loved twelve years ago._

* * *

As I wandered along the long hallways, I realised that there was no one around. I thought it was strange that no one came to complain when I was screaming so loudly. But … that means … I'm late?!

Holy Crap!

It's my first day!

I sprinted down the never-ending stairs, skipping three at a time, barely keeping my balance as I made my way furiously towards the Colonel's office. Different scenarios played in my head as I wondered how I should explain myself to him. Maybe I should tell him the time difference in this country got to me? Or there was a burglar in my room whom I had to fight off? None of these seemed plausible, and I prepared myself for the worst.

I barged into the office without thinking twice, my foot slipped beneath me and my face was met with the cold, concrete floor.

Ouch! Definitely a broken nose!

There was silence around me, and I sighed in relief thinking that no one was in the room. Then a while later, I heard footsteps walking towards me. I looked up and saw my brother, his face grim, I scanned the room and to my horror, found that it was filled with people.

I gulped and stood up quickly, regaining my composure. Roy was sitting in his seat, and as usual, wore an amused smirk as he studied my face.

"Payton, how nice of you to join us." He commented sarcastically, "And so _early_ in the morning as well."

I almost believed him for a second that I was actually on time, but then the clock on the wall slapped me back to reality. It was almost noon. I realised he was making fun of me, but I had already embarrassed myself by turning up late and tripping in a room of people, so it was probably wise for me to hold down my anger.

I simply snorted, examining the people in the room for the first time. There were five guys beside the Colonel, all in uniform. But it was the woman standing beside Roy who caught my attention.

That face, it couldn't be…

"Riza…?" I whispered my long-lost friend's name.

She looked confused for a second, her face searching mine. Then realisation dawned on both of us and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh!" She stood in front of me, "Emma!" She pulled me into a tight embrace and we were both laughing and crying in hysteria.

"Chris!" When we finally pulled apart, Riza pulled Chris in for a hug. I laughed as I saw my brother's embarrassment and awkwardness. Then I remembered that we were not alone, and that six other pairs of eyes were on us at this moment.

Roy was the first to speak, "Lieutenant, you know them?"

Even though the question was obviously directed at Riza, it was I who answered it.

"Of course, Riza and I, we go _way_ back." I smiled widely and linked arms with her, "she was our neighbour when we were little; my best friend, and the sister I wish I had."

Riza nodded, "We were always together until I moved away. But then when I came back…"

I saw the curious look on Roy's face and didn't want him to investigate further into my story, so I changed the topic quickly.

"So what am I going to be doing today?" I asked.

Luckily he didn't pursue my story further, he flicked through his files and handed me a folder. "Alaric Howard", he said sternly, "a skilled alchemist in the West. Recently, we've heard rumours that he has been exploiting children and abusing his authority. They called us to investigate."

I blinked, "Us … as in…"

"Yep," Roy wore an amused smirk and cocked his head to the side, "You'd better get ready for your first job at Central."

* * *

I was already exhausted as I walked out of the Colonel's office, after being told what to do, what I shouldn't do, blah blah blah. Health and safety procedures, he had called it, but I could tell he was enjoying making my life a living hell.

I walked into the restroom and splattered a handful of water on my face; come on, Emma! The voices in my head came back harshly; don't you dare mess this one up!

Sighing heavily, I told them to get lost and dried my face with a paper towel. I walked along the hallway half-heartedly, almost knocking over a figure coming towards me.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" An angry voice snapped at me; I blinked and saw Edward Elric standing in front, rubbing his head where we collided.

"Oh, sorry." I snickered, "It's just that you're too short I didn't see you there." Well, that wasn't entirely true. In fact, I was so caught up in my thought that I didn't even see him approaching.

I probably hit a sore spot, since Ed quickly tensed up; I felt the anger leaking out of him furiously.

"Who…are…you…calling…_short_?!" His fist came fast towards my face, I was surprised but caught in one hand and bent his arm back behind him so quickly that he was grimacing in pain.

I released him, looking slightly ashamed. "Sorry, really. I just … it was a reflex." I explained; it was his fault for hitting me first.

He looked red, probably because he just got beaten by a girl, well, a girl who is technically shorter than him. I realised this and felt embarrassed that I had called him short when in fact, I was the shorter one.

His younger brother, Al came running down towards us. He pulled Ed back and gave me a sheepish smile.

"Sorry for all the troubles my idiot brother here has caused." He said sweetly, I couldn't help but smile back.

"No problem, I hope he has learnt his lesson." I paused, realising that it came out harsher than I had intended. "No, sorry, forget that. I'm really sorry about how I reacted."

I heard Ed mumble something along the line of "It's fine", or it could have been "You're dead". I wasn't sure.

"I saw what you did," Al continued, "where did you learn to fight like that?"

I shrugged, "Just picked it up over the years, I suppose. Well, what else do you expect from someone who practically grew up in the military?"

Their eyes widened at my remark; "Wait … what do you mean … you grew up in the military?"

"Just that." I explained casually, "I've been in the military since I was seven, didn't you hear Colonel Bastard's introduction yesterday?" I giggled silently at my new name for that arrogant, ego-crazy boss.

"What about your family?"

"Chris _is_ my family." I replied simply, refusing to let the sadness take control of me. I flicked my hair back. My hair was undoubtedly the least attractive part of my body; light brown like the not-so-ripe hazelnut, it was long and straight, or in plain words, boring.

"We also don't have any parents." Al spoke lightly, looking sideways at Ed. "You've probably heard the story about us from the Colonel, so I won't go into details. We lost our family a long time ago, all we have is each other."

I took those words in carefully, they were exactly the same thing Chris had told me all those years ago, when he finally found me again on the harsh streets of what used to be our hometown. He had held me and told me that all we have now is each other.

Realising that they were both waiting for me to say something, I snapped back into reality. I looked intensely from Ed to Al, noticing the similarities between them and me and Chris, I smiled.

The smile was obviously not what they had expected, and to be honest, I hadn't either. _What is wrong with you?_ The voices came back in my head. _They just told you that they have no family, and you are seriously _smiling_ at a time like this?"_

I told the voices to shut up, but there was no point, they never do anyway.

"You're lucky, you know." I looked over to Ed and spoke softly, my voice carrying a hint of sadness. "I mean, you have a brother who is completely open with you, who will support you no matter what. It must be so painful, being alone. But then again, you have Al with you, just like I have Chris."

I turned away, becoming conscious that I was going to make the Colonel wait. I hurried down the stairs, leaving the brothers standing as if someone had dropped a bomb on them.

* * *

_**~Edward~**_

I stood, completely dumbstruck at what has just happened. I looked over to Al, who was also standing in surprise. Well, at least I think he was surprised. I mean, I could hardly tell under that armour.

"Brother … did she…?"

I nodded eagerly at Al's words; "Yeah," I swallowed hard, "She never said she was sorry or other crap like everyone else." I stared after her as she sprinted down the stairs, had I misjudged her so completely? At first, I thought she was nothing but a stuck up, spoilt child who went around telling everyone she's the best alchemist around. But now … I wasn't so sure.

Like they say, first impressions are often wrong.

Al patted me on the back, giggling. "Brother … you're not … you're not warming up to her, are you?" He teased.

My cheeks reddened and I slapped his arm, "Al! What the hell are you talking about? Do you want me to hit you again?"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He held up his hands, waving defeat but still laughing uncontrollably.

Damn it! I mentally slapped myself. Get it together, Ed!

* * *

_**~Emma~**_

By the time I got out of the HQ, the sun was already half way through its cycle in the sky. I closed my eyes, feeling my skin tingle at the warmth. It feels great, especially after I've been confined for so long that I'd started to forget what the sun was like.

I heard someone cough loudly, penetrating my personal bubbles. I opened my eyes angrily.

"How long do you intend on standing there looking like an idiot?"

Even without opening my eyes I could tell that voice belonged to none other than Colonel Bastard himself. Sighing with annoyance, I walked faster to catch up with him.

He mumbled something about not trusting women and led the way to the train station. I could tell he was in a foul mood, although I didn't quite know why. Maybe that's just the way he usually is, I told myself.

_Or, maybe he's just tipped off that he's got to watch over you like some sort of crappy guardian._ The voice in my head told me otherwise.

I slapped my head, earning myself a strange glare from the Colonel.

"There was a fly." I said half-heartedly.

He didn't respond to my excuse and kept walking at a fast pace, as if we were mega late to a mega important meeting with some mega important president or something.

The train arrived seconds after we got into the platform; the clock on the wall read exactly twelve o'clock. We took our seat by the window, facing each other but neither looking at one another. With a jerk of movement, the train moved forward.

The scenery began to change outside the window; passing through countryside and urban cities. I stared out with awe, it wasn't my first time on the train, but it was a rare experience and I intend to make full use of it. A grin crept on my face as I saw the fleeting landscape that kept changing and changing.

All this time I could not help but notice the grumpy Colonel sitting across from me. Arms folded in front of his chest, he was also looking out of the window, but without much interest and his expressions spelt disaster.

I rolled back to my seat, all my enthusiasm gone in a second, ruined by him.

"What is your problem?" I snapped, realising the words probably came out harsher than I had expected.

He turned his head, a smirk creeping up on his face and I realised immediately that he was in a perfectly normal mood. "What? Do I come across as a grumpy person? Or are you genuinely worried about my personality?"

"You…!" My face reddened, knowing that he was tricking me with his mood. "Damn you, Colonel!"

He sneered amusingly, "Oh…what, do you _hate_ me now?"

I noticed the emphasis on the "H" word and suddenly remembered that that was exactly what I had said to him the night before. I swallowed hard, contemplating what the best way to shamelessly get out of this situation was. In the end, I came to the conclusion that an apology would suffice.

"I'm … I'm…" The "S" word seemed to be stuck in my throat, I suppressed my ego and inner anger and forced the words. "I'm…ssssorry." Great, now I sound like a snake.

Good thing he changed the topic, because I would have died of shame right there. My face was burning so much you could probably bake a potato or something on it. But his next topic wasn't really to my liking, either.

"Your brother seemed to be concerned about you."

I rolled my eyes, "He worries too much."

Roy was staring at me intensely with those dark eyes of his, and I felt like I was under interrogation so I quickly gazed away.

"Really…?" He said softly, "So tell me, why would a child like you join the military at such a young age?"

"I'm not a child!" I barked angrily, hating it when people called me that. Technically, I was already eighteen, which would make me an adult legally, even though I have been told to possess a childish form.

"Also, there's something unfinished for me to do." I added.

He looked at me strangely, his eyes searching for something in mine. "And what would that be?"

I shrugged, "There's someone … I have to kill."

In normal circumstances with normal people, I would expect them to flip, call the police or throw me into a mental hospital. But this was in no way a normal scenario and Roy, well, he was definitely not a normal person.

He remained calm as if I had just made a comment about the weather, rather than stating my murderous intent.

After a short while, his expressions softened and his arms uncrossed in front of him. "You can't solve anything with revenge, you know." He whispered, "It would only bring more pain, creating an endless cycle of hatred."

That was it; my final straw. Slamming the table hard, I shot up from my seat. "Don't you tell me what to do. I've already decided and that's that. Nothing is going to change my mind and certainly not some petty words coming from you. So mind your own business, _Colonel_."

Awkward silence occupied the space between us and I immediately regretted my words. I've always had a hot temper but this… this has gone out of control. I scratched my head guiltily and looked down. "Sorry…" I mumbled, "I was just in a bad mood, didn't mean to take it out on you. And about last night … I didn't mean it. I don't … actually hate you." Was I being too soft now? "Well, I do think you're annoying and arrogant and ego-crazed," I added quickly, realising that I was digging myself into a really deep hole.

To my surprise, Roy chuckled lightly at my struggle to climb out of my hole and that familiar smirk found its way back onto his face. "What are you doing looking so flustered?"

I was sure my face was now the colour of a ripe tomato by now, "What … who said … I'm not…"

"You do have a cute side, Payton." Roy laughed jokingly, "Alright, do things your way if you want." He leaned closer and stared into me with a serious expression. "But, just so you know, don't come crying to me when this whole revenge thing ends up in the gutter."

"Why would I...?" I humphed, "One, I never cry. And two, even if I do, you're not exactly on my people's-shoulders-to-cry-on list."

He moved back to his seat, "That's good to know, and I hope you mean that. I hate women who cry, so don't ever cry in front of my face."

I couldn't tell from his expressions whether or not he was joking, but that was the one thing I _could_ promise him.

"You will never see me cry, in front of you or anyone else for that matter. This I can promise you."

He simply scoffed at my comment, "Don't make promises you can't keep." A hint of sadness flashed through his eyes so quickly that I wasn't even sure I saw it. "It is in the women's nature to cry; they are weak creatures, and you are no different."

I opened my mouth to protest at his sexist comment, but the brief sadness in his eyes shot my words back down. I stared out of the window again, trying to form my words as sensitive as possible.

Finally, I had thought of an idea. "I'll make you a deal, Colonel." This caught his attention and he looked at me curiously.

"I will prove to you that not all women are weak and cry-babies like you make them out to be, and I swear I will not shed a single tear in your presence." I began, my voice ringing clearly throughout the coach. "And in return," my voice lowered as I leaned closer to him, almost like a whisper. "I want your help in tracking down a particular person"

He neither agreed to this nor rejected it, just remained silent for the remainder of the journey, as if in deep thought. I let my head fall against the cool window and thought about that fleeting moment, where I saw a different side to him. Not the usual arrogant, ego-crazed Colonel; but a normal man, a normal man who, in that briefest second, looked so sad that it tugged at my heart.

* * *

It was already getting dark when we arrived, and the idea of crashing at a hotel and get on with our work tomorrow went through my head. But Colonel Bastard wasted no time on getting this damn mission completed, since he was already gathering information on the alchemist criminal, Alaric Howard.

I sighed and joined him, hotel would have to wait. Bye bye sleep.

"And where did you last see him?" Roy interrogated the poor shopkeeper whom I felt extremely sorry for.

The shopkeeper swallowed hard, "I-I don't know."

"What does that mean?" I heard the impatience in Roy's voice, "How can you _not know_ where you saw him?"

"I-I-I d-don't kn-know."

"Just let him go." I interrupted, coming to the poor guy's rescue. "He said he doesn't know." I saw the shopkeeper flashing me a look of gratitude; great to know I saved someone's ass from being kicked by the Colonel.

I pulled Roy away from the shop, "Seriously, you're scaring the poor guy! Can't you act a little more friendly?"

"How was I scaring him? I just _asked_ him a question!"

I scoffed, "Try _interrogated_." I saw him rolling his eyes at me and punched him in the arm.

"Ouch! What did you do that for?" He questioned me angrily.

I shrugged; "But seriously though, after you interrogated the last twenty people or so, I couldn't help but notice something."

"You realised it too, huh?" Roy became serious all of a sudden.

I nodded, "All of your _victims_ just kept on saying 'I don't know', like that's the answer to everything. I swear if you asked them what their name was, they'd reply with the same 'I don't know'."

"How were they my victims?!" Roy said in a hurtful voice, and I suddenly felt like punching him again, this time in the face.

"That's the only bit you picked up on?!" I bellowed, earning myself a few glares from the pedestrians. I coughed, smiling innocently to the citizens before turning back to face Mr Asshole. "Anyway, if you ask me, I'd bet they were all scared of this Howard guy. Probably got them all trained like dogs, so when the military arrives, they'd know what to say."

"That's plausible." Roy nodded thoughtfully, "but, still, was I really that scary?"

I seriously considered snapping his heck there, no kidding, it really crossed my mind. But before I can act on my impulse, I felt something, or someone, tugging at my jacket and pushing me backwards.

My reflexes were normally excellent, just like how I was trained, but an attack like this, when I'm in the middle of an argument, my movement slowed. I quickly regained my balance and saw a kid, probably ten or so running past us with my purse in his right hand.

"Hey!" I got on my feet and ran after him, "You little brat! Get back here!" My legs raced beneath me. Catching a kid like him was no big deal for me, but when you're running through a busy town with traffic around every corner, tough. Behind me I could imagine Roy running after me, probably apologising to people about the mess I had made. I didn't care, my objective was clear, get my purse back and teach that kid a lesson.

I saw him disappear as he descended down a spiral staircase, I crouched down, trying to get a better look at the place. It was dark, and smelly, not exactly a warm and comforting home.

Roy came up behind me, his arms crossed and his eyes were furious. "Save it." I spoke first before he could say anything. "You can lecture me all you want later, but right now, I've got a lesson to teach."

I jumped down the stairs, skipping three at a time. A basement lay at the end of the stairs, damp, dark and it 100% stinks! As my eyes were adjusted to the room, I drew a sharp and shaky breath at what lay in front of me.

About ten boys were chained up along the graffiti covered wall; their hands and legs tied by steel and attached to the wall. The room smelt of sewage and mouldy food, and the kid who stole my purse took his place beside the others. They were all so skinny you could see their bones sticking out, their faces were bloodied and swollen and scars were visible behind their ragged clothes.

My mouth opened but no words came out, at least, I didn't think so anyway. My head was screaming so loud that it was hard to hear anything else. I felt Roy moving closer towards me, and I guessed he probably had the same expressions on his face.

I bent down and reached for the kid from earlier, he jerked away at my touch, hiding his face with his arms as he trembled, as if trying to stop me from punishing him.

"Hey," I whispered softly, stroking his hair gently with my hand and he began to calm down. The shaking stopped and he looked up at me with wondering eyes.

"You're not going to hurt me?" He asked, his voice so tiny I barely heard it.

I shook my head so hard I was afraid of it falling off. "No, of course not," I gave him an encouraging smile and looked over to the others, who were all staring at me with curiosity in their eyes. "Who did this to you?"

There was silence in the room, as if the subject was taboo. I shifted my position, "It's okay, you can trust me."

"We can't talk about it." The unchained kid spoke, "We belong to him, we follow his orders, we're not allowed to talk about it without his permission."

"Who?" I pressed, the anger building up inside of me. How can the person who abuses these kids be even considered as a human being?

"Alaric Howard." Roy said behind me, crouching down to face the kids. "Right?"

I saw the look of recognition on the boys' faces and knew he was right. I stood up and turned to Roy.

"We have the evidence we need," I said urgently, "This'll put away that bastard for life, and hopefully after that as well!"

I felt a small tug on my leg and saw the kid looking up at me; "P-Please … don't…" He begged, desperation filled his eyes. "If-if it wasn't for Alaric … we would have died a long … time ago."

I opened my mouth to protest but found that all the boys were nodding in agreement.

"Please…" The boy continued to beg, "We were all abandoned … but … Alaric … he took us in, taught us how to read … and write. He gave us a home … food … shelter … as long as we did some … work for him."

I shook my head in disbelief, these kids were seriously asking me to spare the life of the man who put them into this state? This was crazy! I turned to Roy, hoping he could knock some sense into the kids.

"If …" the boy was close to tears now, "if we lose him … we'd end up on the street again, and be treated like dogs … less than dogs. We wouldn't be able to survive."

Roy moved in, whispering in my ear, "We've got the evidence, let's go."

"What?! No!" I looked at him disbelievingly, "You heard them, if we arrest Alaric, what would happen to these kids?"

"Not my problem." Roy snapped angrily, "Like you said, we got our evidence. We're here to arrest Alaric, not to do charity works."

"Then make it your problem!" I shouted back, "Don't you care what happens to them? Or are you just so focused on your mission that you forget what it means to be human?!"

Our voices echoed in the room, and after it faded, silence filled it. I looked back at the kids, knowing there was nothing I could do right now for them. I bent down and reached for the boy's arm.

"I'm sorry," I realised I needed to have a plan if I wanted to rescue them, "I'll be back, I promise." I wanted to at least get them out of the chains, but if Alaric came back and found them uncuffed, I know he'd be more pissed and take it out on them.

It pained me to move away, but I did so anyway. We ascended up the stairs; the sun has already slipped beneath the horizon, and the sky looked like it was on fire, like how I was feeling at the moment.

"Sometimes," Roy spoke first, his voice distant as he stared up at the sky, "sometimes, there are things you have to endure in order to stay alive in this world. It may not be to your liking, but that's the way it works. Life is unfair, and there are probably thousands, if not millions of children who are in far worse condition than those. This is life."

"No!" I breathed heavily as I stared furiously at my boss; "I can't … I won't accept something like that!"

"Yeah well, you're just another one of those spoilt kid who think they can change the world!" He snapped, "You're naïve, I _hate_ women like you."

I took a step back, obviously not expecting him to say that. Hurt, I turned away from him and took off into the night.

* * *

**A/N. Hmm...not entirely pleased with this one, don't know why. Might be because I wrote this at 2 in the morning :S**

**Things will get more interesting next chapter though, promise :)  
**

**xxx  
**


	3. Chapter 3

_**(Chapter 3 – Alive)**_

_**~Emma~**_

The cold wind pierced my skin in the dark night. My legs were getting heavier, and the concrete ground beneath me was getting fuzzy. I shook my head violently, refusing to give in to the tiredness and the merciless chill.

How far, and how long did I run? I did not know; I did not care. All I knew was that, by the time I stopped, I was alone.

The solitude seemed painful, intense, and I was surrounded by the noiseless expanse of black darkness, with Roy's bitter words still ringing in my ear.

_Sometimes, there are things you have to endure in order to stay alive in this world. This is life._

Is it true? Am I so naïve to think that the world will change if we put our hearts into changing it? No, I won't believe that I'm wrong. I can't believe it. Does that mean I won't accomplish anything even if I try my hardest? Does that mean I can't get my revenge?

So what am I supposed to live for now?

Resentment and bitterness stung my eyes, but I held them back. This wasn't the time for me to break down; I slapped myself on the arm. No, I can't forget the promise I made on that night, I can't give up, especially now when I'm _this_ close to discovering the truth.

That's right, Emma. You shouldn't let some idiot's word get to you.

But … why does that idiot hurt my heart so much?

The suddenness of the pain in my legs brought me crumbling down on the ground. Chocking back the despair, I scrambled myself back on my aching feet and dragged them onwards. My movement mimicking that of an injured old man. The lack of light around me made me realise that I was already outskirt of the town, and I could just about make out the fields stretching far into the distant, where a group of clouds gathered on the mountaintop.

Suddenly an arm grabbed me from behind and jerked me backwards. I tried to pull away instinctively but the grip was firm around my wrist that even years of hard training could not help me break free. The scream died in my throat as I saw the figure's face, just inches away from mine.

I breathed out in frustration and relief, "What the hell?!"

Roy dropped his arm, I couldn't make out his expressions in the dark, so I had no way of knowing why he followed me here.

"You scared the heck out of me!" I breathed heavily like a tiger, I was so angry I'm sure I could have swallowed him alive. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I could ask you the same thing!." Roy's voice was low and angry, but there was a hint of something else – anxiety. Was he worried about me? No, no way. I must be crazy to think that.

"You just took off in the middle of the night!" He continued.

And whose fault was that? I cursed him loudly in my head and turned away. I didn't want to start another argument here.

"You're right," I looked at him through my unwavering gaze, the anger was still there, but I did not let it blind me. "I may be naïve and a hypocrite, but I won't give up. No matter how hard it gets, even if the whole world think I'm crazy. I made a promise, and nothing is going to change that."

A low, groaning sound came from behind me. I turned and saw Roy covering his mouth with his hand, trying desperately not to laugh.

"What?" I furiously slammed my hand against his arm, harder than I had planned.

He raised his arms up in defeat, "Sorry, sorry." He wiped that laugh off his face although his smirk remained. "You're … interesting, you know. I've never come across anyone as stubborn as you before."

I was still trying to work out whether I should accept that as a compliment or not when Roy grabbed my arm and pulled me away.

"We'd better get back soon, unless you want to freeze to death out here." He shrugged, "It wouldn't look good on my report if you do."

Why does he have to be a jackass all the time? I sighed and obediently followed him. Seriously, whenever I start to think that maybe he's not a bad guy after all, he'd do or say something that changes my view 180 degrees. Maybe first impressions are right after all.

I was only starting to realise that my arm was still in contact with his hand, and as soon as my brain registered this, all the nerves in my body came alive at once. I watched his tall figure walking in front of me like a shadow, sometimes hovering over me like a sinister being, and sometimes like a warm blanket protecting me from the cold.

This was doing my head in! It was as if he had two split personalities.

"What are you thinking?" Roy's voice broke my train of thought.

"Nothing," I muttered, keeping my head down so he won't see my embarrassment.

He scoffed lightly, "Come on Payton, I know you well enough to realise that you can't go for five minutes without talking. And you've been walking in silence for the past twenty minutes."

I rolled my eyes in the dark, just who does he think he is anyway? How can he claim to even know me when I've told him absolutely nothing about myself?

"I was just thinking…" I racked my brains, trying to find an excuse. "That we should ask around about Howard more, I mean, that's what we came here to do, right?"

I wasn't sure if he was going to buy it, and he probably didn't. But either way, he didn't pursue the issue any further.

"You're right. Once we get back we'll ask the locals again."

I stared at his back in surprise. To be honest, I hadn't expected him to agree this quickly. I thought he didn't care about this at all, but was I wrong? Urrgh, why is he so complicated to figure out?

"Surprised I agreed so quickly?" He said cockily, looking back at me with that familiar and hateful smirk.

"Of course not!" I protested, wondering if he could read people's minds.

"And now you're wondering if I can read your mind," he chuckled, "don't worry, I can't. You're just really easy to read, that's all. Even in the dark, your expressions are so predictable."

That was definitely not a compliment. I felt like slapping him across the face if it wasn't for him holding my right hand.

Talking about that … just when is he going to let go? I tried to pull away from his grip with no success. _Man up Emma! You're not supposed to be this weak! What is wrong with you?_

"If you're thinking about breaking free, don't." He tightened his hold as he looked back at me. "Wouldn't want you to wander off by yourself again. It'd ruin my reputation if you suddenly disappeared on my watch."

Up until that point, I had never had the urge to hit someone as hard as him. A moment ago I thought he wasn't too bad, but now I just feel like beating him to a pulp.

"You−"

"Just kidding." He cut me off before I could insult him back. I looked up at him alarmingly, trying to read his expressions from the side in the dark. "I was worried."

_How the hell am I meant to respond to that?_ I could feel the heat rising up from my neck, stretching across to my ears. Despite the cold, I was surrounded by warmth I have never felt before. It was a strange feeling, as if someone had wrapped a blanket around my heart. It was both comforting and suffocating at the same time.

Eventually, we made it back into town. The streets were dark and unnaturally quiet. Not a single person was in sight even though the sun had just set. It was as if everyone was afraid of the dark and had barricaded themselves within their homes.

"Something's wrong," Roy stopped in his tracks and looked ahead.

"I know. It's too quiet." I kept my voice low, listening for any sound that might give me a clue. Somewhere ahead of us, I could hear the rhythmic footsteps approaching.

"Who's there?" I walked towards the sound but was pulled back by Roy, who stood in front of me.

"You know, I'm a much better fighter than you." I muttered in annoyance. Who does he think I am? A five year old that needs to be looked after? But then again, faced with him, I wasn't even strong enough to free myself from his hold.

He either didn't hear my comment or chose to ignore it. A shadow emerged from the end of the street and stopped a few metres away. Even the dark night couldn't conceal his scarred and hideous face.

"Mr Howard, I presume." Roy spoke calmly.

Alaric Howard eyed us down and snorted. "The military? Well, well, well. Isn't this a _pleasure_?"

Roy gave him a chilling smile that probably meant the feeling there was mutual. "Mr Howard, we are here to investigate a complaint made against you for charges of kidnapping, fraud, abusive use of military power and blackmail. I'm sure you would like to defend yourself, and I would appreciate your cooperation if you could make a journey to Central with us."

"Ha! I ain't got nothing to defend when I ain't done nothing wrong!"

"So why is everyone so scared of you they can't even leave their houses at night?" I spurted out without asking my brain for consent, which was a huge mistake. Although I wasn't completely certain that's the reason why the streets are so quiet at night, it was a reasonable assumption.

If I had remained quiet, then he would never have paid any attention to me, since he was about twice as big as me. But me being me, I had to go and get myself noticed.

"And who's this sweetheart?" He eyed me with a repulsive look as if I was something to eat.

"Who are you calling your _sweetheart_?!" My fist probably would have landed in his face if it wasn't for Roy pulling me back.

"Ohhh, feisty. I like it."

"Say that again and I'll−"

"Mr Howard," Roy glared at me as if telling me to compose myself. "Am I right in assuming you are not going to cooperate with us? Then I'm afraid I'll have to−"

"Arrest me?" He laughed, "Sure, go ahead. But just so you know, I've ordered my people to destroy all evidence if something happens to me. Meaning the little children you met down the cellar – yes, they told me about your little visit – will become completely non-existent. Well, I suppose you don't care about that, do you?"

"You sick psycho!" I almost spit the words at him. "People like you should be locked up and never see the light of the day again!"

He chuckled and stood in front of me, his size was almost daunting as I had to bend my head 90 degrees back to make eye contact. "And who's going to fight me? You?"

"Fine!" The words gushed out of my mouths before I could stop them. "If I win, you'll have to let the kids go. Unharmed. If I lose, we'll let you go."

He shrugged. "That's boring. Why don't we add some excitement to it?" His eyes flickered between Roy and me, a wicked smile forming on his lips. "If I win, you'll be my prize."

"What−"

"No." To my surprise, Roy objected before I could. I glanced at him through the corner of my eyes and saw his body tense. "I can't agree to that."

"It's a deal!" I ignored Roy's objection. "Tomorrow."

"I'll be waiting."

I didn't want to stay a moment longer and pulled Roy's arm as we turned down the street.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" When we were a safe distance away, Roy pulled me to a stop and spun me around to face him angrily. "Do you realise what you've just done?"

I crossed my arms. "What are you so upset about? It's not like _you_ have to fight him."

"You shouldn't be so reckless."

How he sounds like my brother. Jeez, having one is enough I don't need another. "It won't be hard taking him down. I studied him just now, he'll rely on his size and power, but I can use that against him."

"That's not what I meant." He sighed.

"Didn't you say that all women are weak? Well, this is a good chance for me to prove to you that we don't need protecting. We can be just as strong as men."

He stayed silent for a while, contemplating my words. "And what if you lose?"

"Don't jinx it!" I slapped his arm half-jokingly, half serious. "It'll be a piece of cake! More importantly, shouldn't we find somewhere to stay for the night? We'd probably freeze to death sleeping outside."

He nodded in agreement and we said nothing more about the subject. Although I was overly-confident in my combat tomorrow, a part of me was still worried.

If I lose, was I prepared to pay the price?

* * *

.

Knock, knock.

"In a minute!" I called out in the bathroom as I loosened my hair. For some bizarre reason unknown to me, there was only one room left at the inn. So despite my dignity, I had to swallow my pride and share a room with some arrogant Colonel.

I opened the door and headed for my bed. It was bad enough that we were going to share the room, plus the fact that there was only one bed. Naturally, it had to be mine. I mean, seriously, who makes a girl sleep on the couch? But when I presented that argument to him, the response I got back was: "Girl? Who, you? You're nothing like one."

Normally, I would be incredibly annoyed at that comment and would probably insult something equally rude back. But for some reason, instead of conjuring up an insult, my mind was left wondering if what he said was true? Do I not seem like a girl? Am I too rough? Is that it? Maybe I should act more like one.

No! No, no, no, no, no! I shook my head frantically; don't let him get to you!

I caught Roy giving me a strange look and realised none of my body language just now made any sense to him. "What?"

He shrugged and headed into the bathroom, throwing behind a smirk as he left and immediately my anger level went from 0 to overload. It's like there's this anger switch inside my brain, and whenever I'm with him, it gets stuck on the "on" switch and I can't seem to _not_ be angry at him.

There was a little knock at the door; I opened it and found a waiter standing politely behind.

"Here's the bottle of red wine you've ordered."

I threw him a confused look. "We didn't order any."

"Oh," He looked down at his list, "I'm sure you … well, you can have it anyway." He placed the trolley inside the room and left swiftly.

I shrugged to myself and sat down on the bed. I could hear the sound of the shower tap being turned on inside the bathroom, and found myself surprisingly embarrassed. I got up and walked a few laps around the room, trying to divert my attention and finally decided to pour myself a glass of drink to calm myself down.

It was my first time trying any kind of alcohol and the taste put me off immediately. My mouth was burning with bitterness and I felt like I was going to throw up. I wrinkled my nose at the smell but took another sip anyway. The second time round was equally as bad as the first, and I wondered if this was going to get any easier.

The bathroom suddenly opened, making me jump and spill the red drink all over the carpet. I was like a kid caught in the middle of a prank. Roy stood by the doorway, eyeing me strangely as he stared at the wine bottle.

"Where'd you get that?"

"We supposedly ordered it." I bent down in an attempt to clean the mess, but the liquid had already sunk into the material, staining it permanently. I was so absorbed in correcting my mistake that I did not notice there was a half naked man standing in front of me.

By the time my brain had registered the fact that Roy was wearing nothing but a towel, it was too late to turn away. Without even realising it, my eyes found their way to the contours of his upper body. It wasn't as if I've never seen a man naked before. In fact, I've seen plenty of them in training rooms back in the military. It wasn't anything strange. And yet…

I could see the smirk forming on his face, so I pretended not to notice anything different. "Want some?" I gestured towards the bottle.

He shook his head and made his way to the couch. "We should get some sleep. You've got a long day tomorrow."

That's weird. He'd usually throw in some arrogant comment and tease me till I feel like punching him. But he's different today … in a way, he seems more … mature.

I jumped onto the bed and felt like I was in heaven; the softness of the pillows, the silky beddings … back in military, the best we got was a wooden board and a flea infected blanket.

Tiredness washed over me; it has been a long day after all, and my battle has only just began. Somewhere between my conflicted feelings about tomorrow's match and the effects of the alcohol, I drifted off to sleep.

.

* * *

.

_**~Roy~**_

I never knew I could worry so much about one person in the space of a few hours. First she runs off by herself into the night, taking me almost an hour to track her down. Then what? She comes back safely only to get herself mixed up in a fight? What was she thinking?

Then again, maybe I was being too hard on her. I shouldn't have called her ideals naïve, after all, we both had the same objective. And yet, the words just flowed out of me before I could stop it. Maybe it's because I couldn't believe there was another person who had the same goal as me. She was just trying to do everything in her power to protect the weak, isn't that the same with what I'm trying to achieve? Am I not trying to change the military from within to create a future where everyone can live equally?

Thinking about it made me more guilty about my rash comment earlier, and I wished I could take them back.

"You still awake?" I called out in the dark and got a muffled sound in reply.

"About … what I said earlier …" The words seem to be stuck in my throat. God, is it always this hard to apologise? "When I called you naïve … I didn't mean it." Come on, just say it. It's not going to kill you.

"I'm … I'm sorry … about what I said…"

There, I said it! I caught my breath as I waited anxiously for a reply. There was only silence, and after a long while, I decided to go check.

As I made my way across to the bed, I heard the soft, rhythmic sound of her quiet breathing and knew she was already fast asleep.

I breathed out in relief; it was a good thing she didn't hear any of that. It was the most embarrassing thing I had said ever since I could remember. I don't know what I would have done if she had been awake … since … it was my first time … saying something like that.

Little by little, I begin to realise the changes in me. How is she able to do that? To bring up emotions in me that I haven't felt in a long time? How is she able to make my heart tremble, for better and for worse?

_You're thinking too much._ I told myself and went back to the couch. _You know what happens when you let your guard down. _

I could not go to sleep for a long time that night.

.

* * *

.

_**~Emma~**_

The morning sun was warm and cheerful as I opened my eyes. That ego-maniac Colonel was probably already up, seeing the couch was made. I glanced at the clock, and … holy-! It was nearly midday!

Just how long did I sleep for? And why didn't Colonel Bastard wake me up? I cursed him a million times in my mind as I readied myself for the dual at noon. Suddenly, a powerful wave washed over my body, rendering me weak and dizzy. I steadied myself against the wall as I felt the world spiral around me. Buzzing noises filled my ears and my strength faded as I crumbled to the floor.

What is wrong with me? I tried to stand but my legs were weak. It felt as if my body had been completely paralysed; I was so tired my eyelids couldn't help but shutting. A sharp pain flashed through my body and I felt my head hit the soft carpet floor.

I heard the soft opening of the door and the hurried footsteps towards me. Roy was suddenly by my side, supporting my head as he helped me on my feet.

"Are you okay?" He sounded worried, but then again, in the state I'm in, I couldn't really tell.

I rested my head on the cool wall and the pain seemed to fade slightly. "I'm fine … I think." I forced my eyes open and found the figure in front of me swaying back and forth, left and right. "I think I might have drank too much of that wine last night." I groaned, making a mental note to myself that I'm never trying alcohol again.

"More importantly, can you help me walk? I need to be at the square by noon."

He looked at me as if I was crazy. "You're not still going to the dual, are you?"

"I can't go back on my words." I felt some of my strength returning back to me and managed a smile. "Besides, I gotta show you that not all women are weak, remember?" I saw that he was going to protest but I cut him off before he could start. "Those children need our help. I can't just abandon them."

He seems to accept my argument there and sighed. I was feeling better than a few moments ago and with his support, made it out of the building. A lot of people have gathered here at the square, many of them with scared faces and hushed voices as they looked towards me. Howard was already there, his giant build would seem pretty terrorising to most people, but then again, having grown up in the military, size was not a problem for me.

"I was getting worried you wouldn't show up." He grinned and revealed what little teeth he had left. "You look like you've just had one hell of a night." He pointed to the fact that I probably had huge circles under my eyes.

"We're here to fight, not chit-chat." I pulled myself away and faced Howard as the townspeople formed a semi-circle around us. As I tried to gather my power to perform alchemy, I noticed something strange. I could not make even the slightest spark. I concentrated again, to no avail. My body felt so weak I couldn't even find the strength to stand up still, let alone perform alchemy.

"What's wrong? Lost your powers, have you?"

I shot Howard a despising look, "I should have known it was you. You were the one who gave me that drink yesterday, right? So what does it do? Take away all my powers or something?"

"Don't make me out to be the bad guy here," Howard smiled hideously, "no one said anything about playing fair. Besides, it's only a dose of anaesthetic, doesn't do any harm apart from weakening your body."

And it just happened to be that I couldn't perform alchemy unless I had a clear mind and sufficient strength. "So you've switched to dirty tactics." I breathed heavily, trying to keep my head as clear as I can. "I can still fight you!"

"Payton!" Roy shouted from the side, "Stop this. You can't win against him in your state!"

I ignored his comment. Even without alchemy, I still had ten years worth of hardcore military hand-to-hand combat training. I would not go down without a fight.

Alaric's fist came first as he charged at me; I dodged swiftly to the side and grabbed his other arm with my hand, twisting it back and pressed him to the floor. He was indeed not an easy opponent as he easily broke free from me and attacked me again from below. I met his attack this time and side-kicked him as hard as I could. Already, I can feel my body giving up and shutting down. But it wasn't over. That barely made a scratch on him. Although his reflexes were good, mine were still better. A long time passed but both of us still held on to our ground, neither backing down.

"You're pretty tough, I guess not even drugs can slow you down." He wiped the blood from his face and grinned viciously. "But I'm afraid this is where it ends for you."

I didn't have time to register what he said before I felt my body trapped between two ice pillars that sprung up from the ground. I was locked between them and the wall, and no matter how much I struggled, I could only feel the ice pressing tighter against my body.

Howard walked towards me triumphantly, "Without your powers, you're no match against me." He pushed my head back against the wall, the impact was hard and I felt hot liquid trickling down from the back. His hands were tight around my jaw, making it impossible for me to move at all.

"I win," He smiled, "I think you'd be a pretty entertaining girl for me tonight."

My body was numb and I seemed to have lost all my motivations and hope. No … I don't want to lose here. I can't lose here. I haven't completed my mission yet … I haven't had my revenge yet!

"Payton!" Roy's voice called out to me from the crowd as he stepped into the circle.

"Stay back!" I shouted back, my voice sounded strained to my ears. "This is my fight! I still haven't proved it to you yet!"

I saw Roy frozen to the spot, his eyes searching mine as if trying to figure me out. "It's okay! You don't have to prove anything to me. Just let me end this and we'll be on our way back to Central."

"No!" I hated losing, hated leaving things half-done. I wasn't about to admit defeat. Strangely, the thought of that gave me a profound new strength that seemed to vibrate through my entire body. I could feel my lost powers returning back to me. _That's right, Emma. Focus! You want to make a difference, right? You want to change this world, don't you? Change all the unfairness and sadness, so that no one will ever have to go through what you did, isn't that what you've been working towards? Don't you want to take revenge on that man? You can't afford to lose here!_

The sky roared in approval and gave me the strength I needed to break free from my bind. The pillars shattered around me as I was blessed once again with the powers of nature. With sparks lighting up in my eyes, the elements of fire and water in my hands and the hurricane of wind surrounding my body, I became invincible.

I saw Howard retreat in fear and it wasn't long until I overpowered him. He collapsed to the ground, his eyes staring up at me with a bewildered look. "You-you're a monster!" He shouted in hysteria. "You're not normal! You're a monster!"

"No," Roy came to my side and steadied me before I could fall. "You're the monster." He grabbed Howard's arms in both hands and handcuffed them together.

I breathed out along breath of relief; then from a distance, I saw the group of locked up children being brought here by a few military officials. I glanced at Roy.

"I called in some favours from the city." He shrugged.

I couldn't help but smile; despite all the harsh things he said, he does care what happens to them.

One boy collapsed at my feet and stared at me with teary eyes; "Why? Why did you have to take him away?" His voice was hoarse and broken; "He gave us a home, gave us food, without him we would have died a long time ago. And now … what am I supposed to do now?!"

I bent down and looked at this broken boy in front of me; I was suddenly filled with a sense of sadness that my heart ached. Slowly, I placed my hand on his shoulder and lifted his head.

"Think about that for yourself." I said sternly, "Just keep living your life. It might hurt sometimes, and it might bring tears at times, but if you give it your best, then I don't think you'll regret it." I smiled before standing up to face Roy, "Can you…?"

"I'll make sure they are well arranged for." He replied before I finished my sentence and walked back to greet his people.

Maybe it's because I was too tired, I didn't notice the stealth attack from behind until it was too late. An ice spear formed by Howard's outstretched hand was flying fast towards me. I was too exhausted to register this, let alone react. My eyes automatically closed as I waited for the blade to penetrate me.

A gush of fire suddenly surrounded me just in time as the spear disintegrated in the flames. I opened my eyes and saw the Roy standing beside me. How could he have known it was coming? And how could he have reacted so fast? The whole thing probably lasted for a fraction of a second.

Alaric was now surrounded by a group of at least ten officers, each holding him at gun point to prevent him performing another attack. I stood in my spot speechless, it wasn't like me to miss an assault like that. Of all people, it had to be my annoying boss whom I owe my life to.

"Thanks, but I could have dealt with that myself." I said calmly, even though I know it was a lie. As I turned to leave, something felt out of place. My body felt light, not in the same way as the effects of the drugs. This was different … it was almost … as if I had just lost a portion of my life.

The feeling was so overwhelming that I could not hold on to reality any longer. The world was spinning so fast around me I thought it was time to take a break.

My feet finally gave away and I lost consciousness before my head hit the ground.

.

* * *

.

_**~Roy~**_

I caught her just in time before she made impact with the concrete ground. Her body felt so light in my arms it felt like holding feathers. I listened for her pulse, which seemed normal. She's had a long day after all, it's no surprise she fainted, but I couldn't help being worried.

That's when I noticed it. There was a strange marking partially visible revealed through her clothing, located just a little under her collar bone. I brushed aside the strands of hair and saw that it was an outline of an eight petal flower with four of its petals filled with a dark red colour. Interesting choice of tattoo, I thought.

And as I watched, something crazy happened. The fifth petal suddenly coloured in itself, leaving the other three still blank, and as I brushed my finger across, it didn't feel like paint or a tattoo of any kind.

It was as if it had been there all along.

.

* * *

.

_**~Emma~**_

My head was spinning so fast as if I was on a roller coaster. As my consciousness returned, so did the pain. My whole body ached like I just ran a marathon, and the throbbing pain in my skull felt like it was hit by a metal rod. I could hear the faint whispers around me and the annoying, beeping machine that was making my headache even worse.

I struggled to open my eyes and found them blinded by the light above me. As my vision returned, I realised I was lying in a hospital. What happened? Did I faint? All I remember was feeling so weak my mind was going blank, and then … just darkness.

"Emma!" A familiar voice shouted and Chris suddenly appeared by my bedside. "Thank god you're awake! Are you okay? What happened? Are you hurt? Do you know who I am?"

I rolled my eyes sarcastically; "No, I'm not okay. I don't know what happened. My whole body hurt like someone crashed a car against me. And you're still my annoying brother who treats me like a little kid. Jeez Chris! You make it sound like I died or something!"

"I was so worried!" He pouted; "when they brought you in covered in wounds I thought you were really going to die."

Out of the corner of my eyes, I caught a glimpse of Roy leaning against the door, staring intently at me. When we made eye contact, he straightened up and crossed his arms.

"Don't mind me, Payton." He smirked arrogantly, "I just came to see if you're still alive. After all, I can't have you die under my supervision."

"Huh!" I scoffed and sat up straight. His comment just sparked the anger inside me and made me feel ten times more alive. "Don't worry, _Colonel_, fortunately for you, I won't die off so easily."

I could see Chris tensing up in his chair, and knew I was probably going to get in trouble later for talking to my superior like that. But who cares anyway! I'm technically still a patient, and you can't hurt a patient … right?

Roy shrugged and turned to leave. As his hand twisted the door knob, he paused momentarily, as if contemplating on something.

"Listen, Payton. I'll only say this once." He hesitated with his back facing me, his voice serious and quiet. "I … was wrong about you. You did a good job." He exited the room with that comment and I was left deciphering the meaning to his words. Was that compliment? I want to take it as one, but with him, you never know when you're being made fun of.

I didn't even notice Riza's presence until she sat down by the bed. "He may act like he doesn't care, but he does worry about you. A lot." she smiled; "you might think he's cold and harsh, but he's not a bad person."

That's certainly true. Although he's got an arrogant personality and a foul mouth, I never thought of him as a bad person.

"You know, he never left your side for the past two days." Chris added, throwing me an unfathomable look. "He feels responsible for you. I can tell."

"That's right," Riza nodded in agreement, "he just doesn't know how to express it, that's all."

All this talk was making me feel embarrassed. "It's okay; I looked down, slightly self-conscious. "You don't have to explain." A warm feeling was spreading through me, and I couldn't deny the fact that I was a little bit happy to hear that he stayed with me.

The door suddenly opened again and I saw Roy emerging once again.

"What are you doing back here−?" My sentenced trailed off as I noticed the entrance of another person after the Colonel.

"Master!" I exclaimed in shock as I saw the person I respected the most standing behind Roy.

Four pairs of eyes turned their attention to me and I saw Riza and Roy gawking with disbelief.

"King Bradley is … your _Master_?"

.


	4. Chapter 4

_**(Chapter 4 – Illusion)**_

_**~Emma~**_

I followed Master as we made our way up the stairs towards the balcony. Feelings of guilt and disappointment ran through me and I knew I must have let him down. It was the one thing I hated doing the most, yet I know I can never be good enough in his eyes.

The cold air brushed at my face and I stood behind him, waiting anxiously. He turned and faced me with that distant smile on his face, not a good sign.

"How is your injury?" He asked casually.

I looked down at my feet; "It's nothing serious."

He nodded, "That's good. It'd be a shame to put a hold on your training."

Training? I looked up alarmingly, am I still not good enough?

"You let your guard down, I heard." He walked back and forth on the terrace and gazed up at the sky. "I taught you better."

"I'm very sorry, Master." I bit my lips, his words hurting me more than the wounds on my body. "I won't let you down again."

"Good." He faced me again with that same smile of his. "Prepare your stuff, we'll begin training first thing tomorrow. Get some rest for now." He patted my shoulder and walked back into the building.

I sighed, all my sense of achievement escaped me and were replaced by feelings of dissatisfaction and regret. Why is it that nothing I do is ever good enough?

The door suddenly pushed open as another figure emerged onto the balcony. Roy stood by the entrance, looking uncertainly in my direction.

"Did you follow us here?" I questioned, walking towards him.

He shrugged, his hand resting on the handle. "You never told me Bradley is your Master." He stared at me intently, as if he could force a decent reply out of me.

I crossed my arms; "You never asked, so there was no need to. What does it matter anyway?"

He looked away and pursued his lips. His hair swayed gently in the breeze and he seemed to be lost in thoughts. "It … complicates things."

I frowned, "What does that mean?"

His eyes returned to me and I suddenly felt the need to look down. We were standing so close our bodies were almost touching, and a sudden, strange feeling flooded over me. I could feel my irregular heartbeats pounding loudly against my chest as if it had a mind of its own.

"Nothing." He finally replied after the long silence. "Anyway, what did Bradley want to talk to you about?"

I couldn't tell him how disappointed I am with myself. No, he'd think I was pathetic. "Nothing important. Just deciding some dates … for my training."

"Training?" He sounded bewildered, "You're in no condition to do that! Do you want to hospitalised again?"

I sighed impatiently, "I'll be fine. It's nothing serious anyway, I'm recovered already."

"Two broken ribs, a fractured skull and a dislocated wrist. I'd say you were anything but ready, Payton."

"What do you care anyway?" My voice raised in defence; I couldn't let him see how weak I was inside, couldn't bear for anyone to find out that I'm not as strong as I look. I regretted my words as soon as they came out. It wasn't fair for me to say that, after all, he did safe my life back there.

"You're right," he took a few steps to the side. "I don't particularly care. But as I've already said, I have a duty to keep you alive. Just doing my job, that's all."

The coldness brought out by his words was more painful than I expected. I would have normally brushed the comment off but this time … a strange feeling of loneliness filled me for the first time. I don't know what I expected. Did I really expect him to care for me? Maybe not, but the reality still hurts. I thought … I thought …

I realised there was nothing left for me to say. He stood with his back to me, looking into the distance so still he could pass as a statue. For the first time, I stopped myself from having the last words. I left quietly and closed the door behind me and, suddenly, the air around me felt suffocating.

Why am I so bothered by it? I know he doesn't care about me in any way other than just doing his job. I know that already … so why does it still hurt?

It was driving me insane! This wasn't like me.

I stormed outside angrily, turning all my confusion into frustration. The sun was very warm on my skin, and I felt it was a waste of energy to be so pissed off at some idiot on such a beautiful day. That's right! Don't let him get to you. I took a few deep breaths, trying to change my mood. When I felt pretty happy again, I figured I should probably familiarise myself with Central a bit more. Who knows how long I'm staying for? It'd be a shame to leave here without having a good look around.

.

* * *

.

I realised that I was never going to get enough of this place after all. It's been a week since I've discovered the joy of shopping and frankly, it became my new hobby. So now, everytime when I'm finished with Bradley's intense training sessions, I'd grab my savings and rush down here. I've never considered myself to be similar to those girls who are obsessed over clothes and accessories, but, I guess having never shopped in my entire life, it gave me a kind of excitement I've never found in training before.

It was indeed a busy city, everywhere I looked I saw different activities going on. The liveliness of it all ignited the child within me and I couldn't wait to shop. After all, I spent my childhood training with men twice my size. I hardly ever got to enjoy a normal life. This was a rare chance.

The shopping district was like a different country to my eyes, which had grown accustomed to the grey training rooms. Everything seemed to sparkle, I felt like a newborn baby, with zero knowledge in anything. Those years of training never prepared me for something like this.

The freshness of everything got the better of me, and I ended up buying more things than I could ever need. I've never had any experience, and my self-restraint became nothing more than a thin thread. It wasn't until my purse became almost empty that I realised what I had done.

But now I was faced with another problem. I was so excited that I had wandered further than I had intended. And as I tumbled mindlessly through the zigzagging streets, I realised I had no idea where my current location was.

I stopped abruptly, the realisation hitting me full in the face. However much I hated admitting it, I was lost.

All those years of independent training … there was no way I could ask for directions.

My pride was getting in the way, but I couldn't just ignore it. After all, it's the only thing keeping me from being weak. I've always relied on myself, and this shouldn't be any different. I'll find the way back no problem.

But … why do the streets all look the same?!

At this rate, I could be going round in circles without even realising it!

"Excuse me?"

I looked around at the voice, and found a little girl standing a few metres away from me. I smiled and approached her, waiting for her to say something.

"Miss, you look like you're lost."

The smile froze on my face as all my confidence shattered at her comment. I managed a chuckle nervously, "No … of course not. I'm just … resting my feet." I felt like hitting myself. Why are you lying? Is your pride that important to you?

"If you don't mind, I can help you." The girl said sweetly, her eyes staring up at mine. "You're an alchemist, right?" She pointed towards the silver watch hanging loosely from my pocket.

I was suddenly conflicted about what to do. I could either swallow my pride and admit defeat, or stay out here all night wandering around like an idiot. The choice was clear, but it doesn't mean it was easy.

"That would be … very kind of you." I managed to squeeze out the words, my expressions twisting as if I just ate something bad.

She laughed as she grabbed my arm; I tried to protest and found myself having to run to keep up with her speed. "I'm Elle," she turned and beamed brightly.

"Emma," I smiled back whilst trying to catch my breath.

With her help, it was no time before I found myself treading on familiar path again. I breathed out in relief, even with my pride completely shattered, I was glad I didn't have to spend the night out.

"Thank you, I'd never have found my way back here." I admitted, it was the truth after all.

"Then as a payment, why don't you buy me some food?"

I raised an eyebrow as I stared at the petite figure in front of me. Here I thought she was as innocent as an angel, turns out even angels can't turn down the temptation of reward. I saw her eyes on me and realised she was waiting for an reaction. I faked a sweet smile and leaned down. "Of course, I'll buy you _anything_ you want."

Her big eyes stared up curiously as if she wasn't used to a response like this. Then they lit up suddenly and took out a piece of paper from her pocket. "Then, could you get me an apple pie, a quiche, a strawberry cheesecake, a−"

"_Just _an apple pie, alright?" I finally came to the conclusion that this girl was more of a devil than an angel.

I saw her shrug in disappointment and rolled my eyes as I left to find a bakery store. It was a cruel thing as I realised I would be spending what little savings I had left from this morning's shopping madness. I hurried back to the bench where the girl sat impatiently.

"Here," I held it in front of her face and sat down beside her. She looked at the tiny slice in her hands and I could see how much she desired for it. "Well, tuck in." I gestured for her to eat it when I saw her hesitate.

Instead, she took out a small handkerchief and wrapped the warm pie inside before putting it back into her bag.

"Aren't you going to eat it?" I can't believe I spent my precious savings on something she didn't want.

"It's not for me," she explained, "it's for my mother."

I nodded, not understanding what she's trying to say. Is her mother a big fan of apple pies?

"Do you like this city?" She suddenly asked, throwing me off guard.

I looked at her funnily, surprised at this unexpected question. "Um … sort of. I think so. Why?"

She sat back against the bench so her legs could dangle in the air. "I hate it," she said, looking down at her shoes. "I've hated it so long I can hardly remember feeling any other way about it."

Wow, that was not what I had expected at all. How can someone go from completely devilish to sentimental in the short space of 20 seconds? "Did something happen?" I asked carefully, trying not to make her remember anything bad.

She shook her head, "No. We just moved here a couple of months ago, me and my family," she kicked her legs back and forth as if she was on a swing. "I was happy until then. I hated leaving my old home behind."

A soft feeling of sympathy caught me off guard. In a way, I could almost relate to her. I remember what it was like leaving the ruins of my hometown and journeying to a completely different city. I used to miss my old life badly, to the point that I would cry myself to sleep every night. I noticed how similar we were and my attitude suddenly changed.

"Here," I handed her my purse which contained the last bit of my savings. "It's not much, but use it to buy your mother something good to eat." I pointed at her bag which housed the small apple pie. "That's not going to be enough, right?"

Her hand slowly reached towards it, looking up at me to check my expressions. Then she quickly grabbed it in her hands as if I could change my mind any time. I stood up, suddenly feeling great like I've done something good.

"Well, I'd better get back. If you ever need my help, come find me. Just ask for Emma Payton." I grinned happily and made my way back into the Central building.

My brief moment of joy was short lived as I entered the building, realising that I'd have to face _him_ again. We haven't really had a proper conversation ever since what happened on the balcony.

Ah, screw it. I just didn't want to care anymore. I mean, I came here to gather clues about my past, not to make friends. Well, I glanced down at my enormous shopping bags … finding clues and shopping, I guess. I could hardly blame myself; I seriously needed some new clothes. The last time I bought something was probably … never … and I was still wearing clothes I've had since I was a kid. Good thing I never grew much anyway.

As I made my way down the grand corridor, I saw the familiar figures of the Elric brothers walking ahead. Although I said I didn't want to get close to anyone during my time here, I couldn't help but feel a close connection with them. Maybe it's because of our similar backgrounds, mutual sympathy or whatever they call it, but I suddenly got the urge to get to know them more.

"Hey, you guys!" I caught up with them as they turned in surprise.

"Hello, Emma." Alphonse, the responsible and polite _little_ brother greeted happily and I couldn't help but smile back. There was something about this guy in armour that you can't help but love.

His _older_ brother, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. He was someone that reminded me a lot of Colonel Asshole, who was probably _exactly_ like him at that age.

"What are you up to?" I asked casually, trying to waste time so I won't have to meet my boss in the office.

"We were just on our way to see you, actually." Al replied cheerfully, "We only just got back and heard you were hospitalised, are you okay?"

"I'm fine now. Thanks for worrying."

"Who says we were worried?" Ed butted in, "We actually had other business, and the hospital was on the way, that's all."

"Brother!" Al nudged him in the rib, "Sorry about him. He was actually the one who insisted on checking up on you–"

"Don't listen to him! I only came because Al was whining so much."

"Brother! It's not healthy to lie!"

"You–"

I couldn't help but laugh at this comical scene in front of me. And once I started, I couldn't stop myself. I could tell the two were really close, and in a way, it reminded me of Chris and I back in our childhood.

When I finally calmed down, I became very self conscious that the two brothers were eyeing me up and down.

"What's so funny?" Ed asked, a little annoyed.

"Sorry, sorry." I had to hold in the laughter in my stomach, "It's just that … you two make a great team. I think I understand why you would risk so much for each other now."

"Of course!" Ed said proudly and punched Al playfully, "he's my only brother."

I was almost jealous at their close bond, and a part of me wondered why Chris was hiding something from me. Siblings are meant to be completely open with each other, right? So why can't my brother trust me with the secret?

"Payton, how nice of you to return." I was pulled back into reality by my least favourite voice right now. I groaned and turned to face my boss, dreading what he's going to do with me next.

I gave the brothers an apologetic look, "Sorry, gotta go." I said in a quiet voice. "If you don't hear from me before tomorrow, please tell the military to look for my body in the Colonel's office."

The boys broke into hysterical laughter and I saw Roy raising an eyebrow in our direction, I sighed and went to join him.

He closed the door behind me as we entered the office.

"You seemed pretty close with the Elric brothers back there," he said casually, catching me completely off guard.

I shrugged in response, "they're cool." I mean, how the hell was I supposed to respond to that? Sure, I like them, I could relate to them, but I barely know them.

"I'm sure I've told you, the brothers are on a very important mission." He continued, his voice calm and emotionless, "they can't afford to be sidetracked by anything."

I crossed my arms in annoyance, "And you think I'm a distraction for them?"

"I'm just saying," he said slowly, "it could jeopardise their mission. So don't get so close to them."

Who the hell does he think he is telling me who to be friends with? My fricking father? I had one, thank you very much, and as much as I'd love to have him back, I don't need someone else taking up that vacancy in the meantime.

"Wait … don't tell me … are you jealous?" I asked, intending it as a joke.

He said nothing to neither confirm nor deny it, and my joke suddenly flew out of the window and evaporated. I swallowed uneasily and tried to read the emotion coming off him, rather unsuccessfully.

I shifted uncomfortably, "Um … that was a joke." A bad one, as well. I slapped myself mentally and made a note never to attempt humour in front of him again. "You're not … actually jealous … right?"

"No. Of course not." He replied with the same emotionless voice, revealing nothing. "Whatever made you think that, Payton?"

Hmm … maybe the fact that you didn't respond to my joke?

A knock sounded at the door and a man dressed in uniform came in. "Colonel, sorry to interrupt."

I wriggle my nose as cigarette smell filled the room and coughed involuntarily. Funnily enough, although being a skilled fighter and a talented alchemist, my only weakness was my asthma, brought on by both the physical and mental trauma I experienced that night. Or so my doctor concluded.

"Sorry," he quickly put off the smoke and flashed me a grin. "You must be Miss Payton, I've heard quite a lot about you from the Colonel. You can call me Havoc."

I gave him a little nod, suspicious at what my boss had told him.

"Oh, that's right. There was someone at the reception asking to see you."

I frowned, "Who, me?"

Havoc nodded, "She said her name is Elle, and that she had to talk to someone called Emma Payton. Which is you, I assume."

Elle? The girl who guided me back and practically robbed me of my money? Didn't I just see her a while ago? Something must have happened, I told her to come find me if anything did…

"Sorry, but I have to go." I rushed out of the door before my boss could protest and half ran down the stairs until I reached the entrance, where I saw three hunky looking men with guns surrounding the petite little girl.

"Whoa! What do you think you're doing?" I snapped angrily, brushing the weapons away and standing protectively before Elle. "How the hell is she going to be a threat to any of you?" I felt hypocritical, I mean, I wasn't that much bigger than Elle in size, and anyone here knows that I could take this whole place down in the blink of an eye if I went all out. But still…

The men seemed embarrassed with themselves and left swiftly, leaving us alone. I turned to face Elle.

"Are you okay?" I asked quietly, "what happened?"

Elle looked down timidly, probably still scared shit from being held at gunpoint by men three times her size. I threw them an evil look with the message 'I'll deal with you later' sending their way.

"Did something happen?" I asked in concern.

She shook her head quickly, but her eyes were still directed at the floor as if there was something incredibly fascinating down there. "My mum wanted to thank you for … you know … how kind you were to me." She hesitated, "So … she wants to invite you to dinner. I think she'd like to thank you in person.

I was embarrassed, it didn't feel like I did something that amazing. "Um … okay. Now?"

"Is it a bad time?" She asked in a tiny voice.

"No, no, of course not." Between going back to face my boss and going to a lovely family dinner, you could see why I would rather choose the latter. Hell, anyone with a fraction of sanity would.

"Great!" She smiled, and for a split second, a flash of fear flickered in her eyes, but they disappeared quickly. "Let's go now."

"And where do you think you're going, Payton?"

I groaned internally and reminded myself to add the term 'stalker' to my list of 'how to describe my new boss".

I gestured for Elle to wait for me outside as I went to explain the situation.

"A dinner?" He raised an eyebrow and I wanted nothing more than to punch him and wipe off that smug look on his face.

"Yes, you know, dinner. Food. Banquet. A meal."

"I do know what a dinner is, Payton." He snapped. Ohhh, someone's getting edgy. "My point is, what makes you think you're going?

"What makes you think I'm not?"

"Maybe the fact that a suspicious girl you've known for 5 seconds invited you to her house just for dinner? Isn't that dangerous?"

I sighed impatiently, feeling the familiar feeling of irritation rising up inside me. "That's why I can't stand you military people. Why do you always expect a conspiracy to arise in every possible situation?" I turned to leave but was pulled to a stop.

"I'm telling you, that girl's suspicious. Did you not see her body language? She's hiding something from you." His voice became serious and tightened his grip on my arm.

It was true, I mean, compared with her personality earlier on, it's as if they're completely different people. But … to think that a little kid is going to harm me … that's just going too far.

"Don't go." His voice was dark and commanding, "If you do, and something happens … you're on your own. Do you understand? If you go, you're on your own."

I stared up at his eyes and they told me he wasn't joking. Fine! The voices in my head argued over each other.

"Fine. One, nothing is going to happen. It's just a _dinner_. And two, even if it is a trap, you're the last person on Earth I would want help from."

His grip on me loosened and I suddenly felt like I had done something bad. Maybe what I said was too much, he did do a lot for me, for those children we saved … but it's too late to take those words back now. I took a few steps back uncertainly and joined Elle outside, trying not to think about what I've just said.

"Let's go," I whispered to Elle as we walked away from the building. Since when did I start caring so much about someone's feelings? So what if it was harsh, I'm not here to make friends, right? It'd be better off for everyone to stay clear of me. There's only one objective for me in this life, and I have no time for trivial things like friendship.

When we finally boarded the train, I suddenly realised that I had no idea at all where we were going. I guess somewhere pretty far away since we're taking the train. But I swear Elle said she lived in the city, so why are we getting the train?

God, Emma! You're starting to sound like the Colonel! What am I getting all suspicious for? Not everyone is an enemy, remember?

"What are you thinking?" Elle asked, peeking up at me.

"Oh, nothing. Nothing." I coughed a few times, shaking off my suspicion.

She nodded unconvincingly, "So … was that your boyfriend?"

I had to pound on my chest like an angry gorilla to stop myself chocking on my own saliva. "What?! No! Hell, no!" I shook my head crazily in denial as if she had just told me she was an alien or something.

She shrugged, "Seemed like it to me. I mean, from what I saw, he was pretty protective of you."

Yeah? Try using the word 'stalkerish' or 'annoying'.

"So do you like him?" She pressed on, refusing to give up on the matter.

I sighed impatiently, "He's my annoying, ego crazy, arrogant boss. So no, I do not like him." I felt a need to change the topic before I say too much. "Where did you say you lived again?"

Her face fell quickly and she turned her head to the window, avoiding my eyes. "We're nearly there." She replied quietly, her eyes looking into the distance.

I nodded, not wanting to pursue this further. I guess I'll find out when I arrive anyway, and there's no point getting suspicious of a little girl who's no match against me even if this turns out to be a trap.

"We're here," the train jerked to a stop and I followed after Elle. Stepping out of the platform, the first realisation was that we were in the middle of nowhere. Literally. This was probably one of those tiny stations bridged between two cities. Looking around us, apart from a few run down houses, all I could see are the endless fields stretching out into the distance.

"So, this is where you live." I muttered more to myself than to anyone else.

Elle said nothing, she walked in front as I followed her steps. Before long, we've reached what seemed like an abandoned factory house, or a warehouse perhaps. The suspicion started to grow more and an uneasy feeling crept up on my back, making me more alert about my surroundings.

I was about to ask Elle for an explanation when she turned back to face me, her face stained with tears.

"I'm sorry…" She sobbed, looking up at me as if begging for forgiveness. It was then when I realised what was going to happen, but too late. Within seconds I was surrounded by a group of armed men, each dressed in black as if attending a funeral, pointing the muzzle of their guns at me.

"What the hell?!" I spun around angrily, "Who are you people?"

Elle took a step towards the men and was immediately taken into their custody. Great, was she one of them? Damn it, Emma! How could you have been so stupid? How could you have ignored your intuition?

"You're an alchemist, I presume." A bald man stepped into the ring and held up a rectangular device in his hand. "Don't bother using alchemy, it doesn't work here."

What? I tested it and found that I couldn't summon even the smallest breeze or a spark of light. Then I realised the white marks surrounding us. Of course, we're inside a circle. A circle that prevents alchemy. Since alchemy requires the energy of the ground, this circle must act as some sort of a barrier.

It almost made me laugh. Did they seriously think I'd go down so easily without the help of my alchemy? Combat sessions were the only lessons where I didn't bunk off. Well, apart from world history, but I had no choice. The teacher was scary as hell. He'd have probably cut off all my fingers if I dared to skive.

"And I wouldn't try anything stupid, either." The bald man continued, approaching me with his little device in his hand. "Your little friend here, Elle, has helped us a lot. But if you don't submit yourself then I'm afraid we're going to have to do terrible things to her. Even though she tricked you, you're not so heartless as to watch a little girl suffer, are you?"

As if on cue, one of the men grabbed Elle by her hair and dragged her away, muffling her cries for help.

"Stop!" I kicked myself internally. How did I get myself into this mess? "What do you want from me?" Roy was right. I'm too naïve. A part of me knew it was going to be a trap, and yet, I wanted so desperately to believe, to the point of being so blind to everything.

"Oh, not much. Don't worry. We won't hurt you or the girl as long as you cooperate." He was now standing in front of me and his device was sparkling with electricity.

Oh no. I'm sorry, Roy. I'm sorry. I should have listened to you. I shouldn't have been so stupid.

The tip of the electronic device made contact with my head and a splitting pain threatened to tear my skull apart. My legs turned jelly and I no longer had the strength to stand. My vision blurred in front of me and there was a loud buzz in my ear.

In the last few seconds before I lost consciousness, I wondered what was going to happen next. I knew I was on my own. I was stupid enough not to tell anyone where I was going, and Roy made it pretty clear I wasn't going to get any help either.

I didn't have long to think though, as the world before me dimmed and I sunk into the darkness.

.

* * *

**Hey! Sorry about the late update, I've been super busy! Just move up to uni, missing home and friends :( lectures started already and have loads of readings to do before next week. Apologies if i can't update regularly but I will try my best!**

**xxx  
**


	5. Chapter 5

_**(Chapter 5 – Elusion)**_

_**~Emma~**_

It felt like an elephant herd stampeded over my body when I woke up.

I opened my heavy eyelids and realised that I was half leaning against a wooden pole. My hands and feet were tied back with large metal chains as if I was a wild beast that needed to be tamed. My head pounded loudly as if someone was screaming next to my ear, and I found I couldn't concentrate on anything without getting dizzy and nauseous.

"It's no use struggling," footsteps approached me and I saw the bald man standing in front, bending down to be at eye level with me, "These are the best make," he shook the chains on my limbs, "not even an explosion can break these."

"What the hell do you want?" I spit, gritting my teeth and scanning around the area, searching for Elle. What have they done with her? She'd better still be alive or I swear to God they're all dead…

"The girls' fine, sort of, anyway. Don't be like that, personally we have nothing against you. You're just a bait, it could have been anyone. You see, the military owns us. A lot. And you're just someone we need in order for them to pay." He stood up and strolled around the pole, "Once they find out one of their own had been kidnapped, they'd be ready to negotiate, and all we have to do is name the price."

I almost laughed at their idea; if they had kidnapped someone else, I'm sure their plan would have worked perfectly. But not me. I've only been in Central for what, a couple of months? Apart from Roy and Bradley, and a handful of others, no one in the military even knows about my existence. Not in Central, anyway. And even if they did, I'm pretty sure they'd prefer it if I was dead. Out of my two possible saviours, one made himself pretty clear that he wasn't going to help me, and the other … well, the chances of King Bradley coming to save me was pretty slim, if not impossible. He's the _King_, and I know he couldn't care less whether I lived or died. At most, he'd be pretty disappointed he lost his star pupil.

"Sorry to ruin your plan, but no one's going to negotiate anything with you." I smiled, feeling my energy returning to me.

He turned around and pulled me by my hair; I winced as I felt the roots standing up on my head. "Oh they will, they might be rotten to the core, but a death of one of their own won't look good on anyone's report."

As if anyone cares. "You've really got the wrong hostage. Do you think the military gives a crap about me? Hell, they'd love to rip me to pieces if they weren't so scared of me. Trust me, you'll be doing them a favour, getting rid of me."

His hands tightened around my hair and with a strong blow, pushed my head heavily against the pole. Splinters of wood flew around me as I felt a few getting embedded into the back of my head. Great, I'll need stitches. And I just got out of hospital a few weeks ago too! I wasn't in that much hurry to go back.

My hands clutched together and I was at my limit; I wanted nothing more than to bash those men's head in, lock them up and throw away the keys. I could have. Did he seriously think some third world chains were enough to tie me down? I mean, I could get out of chains like this in less than five seconds when I was only ten years old. To be fair, I was handcuffed to the bottom of a fast moving train at the time. Bradley had very … _imaginative_ ideas for our sessions.

Yes, I could have so easily broken free and ran to safety, but the chances of me getting Elle safely out of here is almost zilch. This was a big warehouse, after I take out the baldy, it'll still take me at least ten minutes to search the entire place. And if the others know I'm free, one of them is bound to find her first and hurt her. No, I couldn't take the risk.

"You'd better pray to God somebody brings a ransom before dawn," Baldy released my head, "Otherwise that smart mouth of yours may not have a host to return to."

This time, I learnt to keep my mouth shut and instead scanned around the area, calculating in my head the number of possible places where Elle could be kept. There were two turns to my left, one to my right, and a stair in front of me, with a total of 8 containers stacked on the second floor. Judging from the size of the warehouse before I came in, I'd say the three turns aren't very large, at most it'll each have an area of about a hundred metre squared. It's most likely that Elle was kept inside one of the metal containers upstairs, but with a one in eight chance, even if I move at bullet speed I still can't guarantee her complete safety.

I need to do find a way… a way that'll make him tell me where she's kept.

Then I saw something … a flash of shadow outside the entrance. Was it my imagination? Baldy hasn't spotted it yet, so I kept my eyes away from the door, not wanting to draw his attention to whatever is outside. Or whoever.

Then suddenly the world went into slow motion; maybe a split second before it happened, I saw the familiar uniform outside the warehouse and the hushed footsteps before the whole place was engulfed in flames.

The explosion sent debris flying in all direction and I was blinded for a moment by the smoke. My head ducked instinctively and I saw baldy being blown away like a man made of straws. I'd probably have too if it wasn't for those chains holding me in place. Then the footsteps approached us swiftly and within seconds we were surrounded by a group of military personnel, each pointing the gun in our direction. Well, in baldy's direction, more like.

My face lit up as the familiar figure of my childhood best friend stepped in front. Riza had both of her guns out and gave me a quick glance, probably making sure I was alright. How the hell did they find me? I'm pretty sure I didn't tell anyone where I was going. Heck, _I_ didn't even know where I was going.

My question was answered as another person emerged from the group. Of course, my boss with his stalkerish tendencies who emerged from the flames. Did he follow me all the way from Central? I was feeling more angry than relieved at the moment; one, I hated being tailed, and two, I could have easily taken baldy down if not for Elle, and now they've ruined my plan, who knows what's going to happen to her?

"Emma?!" My brother's concerned voice sounded from the crowd and I groaned. What is this? Some lame '_let's see how many people we need to rescue little weak Emma' _game? Why is _everyone_ here?!

Baldy had picked himself up from the floor, probably still in shock, but he recovered quickly and took out a small red button from his pocket. "Don't move!" He panted, steadying himself as he held up the device, waving it around like a knife. "There's a stack of fireworks around the place, one push and it all goes up. You can go ahead and shoot if you want, but you have to assume your bullet is faster than my hand. Take your chance."

"I don't like being threatened," Roy spoke calmly and gestured to Riza who aimed her gun at baldy's head. It was almost comical, Riza is the best sniper in the country, we all know she can put a hole in baldy's forehead without him even blinking.

"You'll regret that," Baldy looks like he's about to panic, "don't you care what happens to her?" He gestured towards me, "Or the other little girl? My men have already been instructed to kill her if they don't hear from me. And don't bother sending your men to look for her, you won't find her here."

That was the answer I needed. So Elle is not being kept inside this warehouse, and none of his men are here, then what the hell am I doing here chained up? Time for me to act. Everyone else was busy having a showdown that no one really paid any attention to me. I played with the chain, taking a second to find its weakest link and … success … seriously, you call that the best make?

I guessed the fire outside was caused by the Colonel, so that means the alchemy barrier must be broken. I closed my eyes and felt the power of the Earth running through me. Brilliant! I smiled to myself as I contemplated on the different ways of torturing baldy; it was the first time anyone had tricked me, and although it was indirect, the anger was still there.

Chris was the first to spot me, freed from my restraint. I gestured for him to be quiet; he didn't look surprised. I think he was more surprised finding me chained up than seeing me breaking free.

I took a deep breath and felt movement under the ground, like there was a fast flowing current running beneath our feet. I felt its energy, understood its power and absorbed it within myself. My hand lifted up and along with it, a growing tree root at least a foot wide. I directed it towards baldy; the branches wrapped itself around his body and limbs and dragged him off his feet into the air as if he weighed nothing. I waved my arm and he was slammed into the side of the wall, dropping his little red button in the process. Luckily, it was caught by one of the roots before it hit the ground.

The troop stared at me with eyes wide open like I was some kind of God, or the Devil, more like. Great, I'm starting to feel like I'm in a freak show. I released baldy as he hit the ground with a thud; I still needed him alive to find Elle. Chris was the first to rush to my side but I didn't feel like having a happy reunion right now.

"What the hell do you think you were doing?" I folded my arms in front of me, directing my anger at the group, mostly my boss.

"Saving you from being blown to bits?" Roy mocked sarcastically, earning a glare from Riza. Good job, Hawkeye!

I sighed angrily, "Did you really think I'd be beaten by a guy like him?" I pointed towards baldy who's lying broken on the floor. "And you just barged in like that, ruining my plan. You're lucky Elle's not here, otherwise if something happens to her because of your … stalkerish hobbies, then…"

I had to stop myself before I got too emotional. It surprised me that I actually cared about whether Elle lived or died, she tricked me, but still…

"A simple 'thank you' would have sufficed." Roy said coldly, turning away from me as he arrested baldy.

Chris nudged my arm gently, "That was too much, Em. I was the one who followed you, not him. And when I saw you being dragged inside I had to call for backup…"

"Wait, _you_ were the one who followed me?"

He shifted uncomfortably, "Yeah … that's not the point. Do you know how worried Roy was when I called him?"

Why the hell was Chris following me? Wait … what, Roy was _worried_?

He said he wouldn't help, he told me I was on my own. And yet he came…

I looked in his direction and saw him instructing a few officers to arrest baldy lying on the floor. He may say harsh things, but he came anyway. He always seemed come to my rescue, regardless of whether or not I need it. And yet … I…

"What are they going to do to him?" I asked Chris, nodding towards baldy.

He shrugged, "Don't know, probably lock him up somewhere. That guy's pretty famous around here. I heard he used to be in the military, but they kicked him out and didn't even give him any benefits. No wonder he's like this."

I suddenly felt a bit sympathetic towards the guy; I remember feeling like that, being used for their own purposes and when they no longer require your service, they chuck you out like stray dogs. But it still doesn't justify his actions.

I feel like I'm forgetting something, and it hit me in the face. Of course! Elle!

"I've got to run!" I was out of the door in seconds, throwing those words back at my brother. "Don't wait for me!" I didn't see any car in the entrance before I came in so I assumed his men must be on foot. They can't have gotten very far if I hurry.

.

* * *

_**.**_

_**~A few hours later~**_

I dusted off the dirt on my clothes, agitated that my new outfit was getting mud all over them. I bent down, looking at the mess I've made in front of me. It took me nearly an hour to track these guys down, and I would have gotten back a while ago if these guys had cooperated a bit more.

"You … monster!" The men scrambled around on the ground, trying to gain as much distance from me as possible like I really was a monster.

Elle stood behind me, refusing to meet my eyes. "Come on, let's get you home." I patted her shoulder; I waved my hand as roots emerged from the ground and tied the men together, dragging them behind us as we made our way back to the train station.

I wasn't expecting to see anyone there; it was already past midnight I think. But as I approached the dim-lighted station, I saw Colonel's group pacing back and forth restlessly.

"What are you still doing here?" I directed the question at my brother. I thought I told him not to wait.

A few men took custody of Elle and led her away, I wanted to protest but Chris stopped me in my tracks.

"You've been gone for so long," he sounded angry, "we couldn't find you anywhere!"

I sighed and dragged out the men who were still fighting against the tree roots, "I got the job done, didn't I? I don't know why you're so angry!"

"You could have let us taken care of it," Chris continued, "and not do everything on your own. Damn it, Emma. There was a group of us who could have helped!"

As if I would ever depend on anyone but myself. I've always done everything on my own as far as I can remember, being independent can hardly be a fault, right?

"Sorry to interrupt your sibling fight, but we do have a train to catch." Roy looked between me and Chris, gesturing to the train that was waiting impatiently on the track. Chris sighed heavily and left first to board the train.

I caught the men and saved Elle, so why does it feel like I've done something bad? If he's going to be like that, then fine! I turned and made my way to the train as well, purposely choosing to sit in a different carriage.

As the train jerked forward, Roy came and sat next to me. Great, as if I didn't have enough lectures today already. I ignored his presence and stared at my reflection in the window. God I look a mess, my hair was mixed with mud and blood and it looks like I haven't slept in days.

"Your brother's right," he began and I groaned inward. Here we go again.

"He's just being–"

"He was worried," Roy cut me off sternly and hesitated, "I was worried." He said in a quiet voice and I saw his features soften in the reflection.

I didn't realise I was holding my breath until I nearly suffocated myself. He was worried? Really? And why does hearing that make me feel so happy? I turned to look at him, surprised by his change in attitude. It was as if he's a different person today; what happened to the usual arrogant, ego obsessed Colonel who always wore that stupid smug look on his face?

"_You_ were worried?" I stared at him bewilderedly. "Why? And don't give me the crap about making it look good on the report."

He gave me a look that probably told me not to push it. "I don't know, okay." He confessed, "I've never worried this much about anyone. Ever."

I nodded slowly, that wasn't an answer exactly, but he was being truthful at least, so maybe I should too. "I never got the chance to thank you … you know … during our last mission. And for tonight … although all you did was ruin my plan and … no, ignore that. Sorry. Um … I'm really glad you came tonight … or something like that?" I blabbed on, my face reddening as I realised I was digging myself a pretty big grave. I probably look flustered right now. Great.

Roy chuckled lightly and that infamous smirk found its way back on his face. "You can be so cute sometimes, Payton."

My anger flamed inside me; there he goes again, does he enjoy teasing me or something? Before I could protest, he leaned his body against mine and placed his head gently on my shoulder.

"Hey! What the–"

"Do you know how exhausting today was?" He murmured, closing his eyes. "Let me stay like this for a while. I swear I won't do anything to you."

My body became rigid as I became very aware of his proximity. I tried looking away, but it was too dark outside and all I could see was our reflection staring back as if mocking me. His hair was soft against my neck and I found myself taking in his scent. His breathing evened after a while and I momentarily relaxed, allowing myself to drop my guards.

It was as if I saw a different side to him today. A gentle, caring guy who also had a tint of sadness in his eyes. A sadness reflecting events from a past I did not know about. And here he is now, completely defenceless and sleeping like a baby. He must have been so tired to fall asleep here.

As I watched his sleeping face in the reflection, my heart felt like it was embraced by a new kind of warmth I had never felt before. More than physical, this was the feeling of a content soul. Could I have … could I have taken a liking to him?

That's impossible, right? Of course it is. Maybe I'm just too tired. That's right, Emma. You need to rest. Your head will feel much clearer after some rest.

After all, I know it was a bad idea to get close to anyone, let alone … love …

I'm dangerous, I knew that already. I'm the human weapon Bradley created with the the highest degree of alchemy at my command. Maybe those men were right. Maybe Alaric was right.

Maybe I really am a monster.

.

* * *

.

The sun was hovering on and off the horizon as we stepped off the platform; I was starting to feel the tiredness taking hold of my body. Damn that Colonel! I couldn't even rest a little bit with him using my shoulder as his own cushion!

I stole a glance at him; he directed some men to take the baldy and his subordinates back to Central. Elle emerged slowly from behind the troop and stared timidly around her, waiting for her punishment. Then I saw her eyes beam at something behind me. I turned and saw a woman, probably in her early thirties with a little boy who looked no more than five.

Elle rushed to their side and threw herself into the woman, crying and mumbling incoherent words.

"That's her family," Roy explained by my side, "they were taken as hostages and used to threaten her into working for them."

So that's why Elle tricked me. To save her family. All my anger and frustration evaporated and I felt suddenly felt very proud of her, even a little bit of admiration. She did everything in her power to protect her family … did I do the same, twelve years ago? Did I try everything in my power to save my family, the night they were destroyed?

I can't remember. And that's what pissed me off the most. I don't know whether I fought for them until the end, or hid behind the wardrobe like a pathetic coward, watching my parent's blood spilling across the room.

I wish I could ask Chris, but according to him, I was the only one with them in the house that night. So where the hell did my brother go the night my family were massacred?

"Payton," Roy's voice pulled me back, "aren't you going to say goodbye?"

I blinked, my mind trying to piece together reality again. Elle led her mother towards me and gave me a wide smile before she hugged me tightly. I was surprised at this intimate human contact that all I could do was stand there looking like someone just dropped a bomb on me.

"Thank you," she whispered into me. "Thank you for everything." She sniffed and looked up at my teary eyed. "I'm sorry for lying to you."

Elle's mother held my hand with tears in her eyes, making me feel even more embarrassed and self-conscious. "Thank you so much for looking after my daughter." Her hand trembled on mine as she went and hugged both of her children and led them away from the scene.

I breathed out in relief, feeling a small, content feeling in my chest. I guess it was a good thing I did after all. But … how did …

"How did you find them?" I turned and questioned Roy.

"I did some research on Elle, found out where she lived, and the rest was easy."

I scoffed, "I guess your stalkerish habit does come in handy sometimes." I bit my lip and swallowed my insult. "What I mean is … thanks … for going out of your way and everything…"

"That's the second time you've thanked me today, Payton." Roy teased, "You don't want my ego to be bigger than it already is, do you?"

Damn! He knows it himself and he's just … just … playing with me! I was too tired to come up with a response equally offensive and the best I could do was to stick my tongue out in an attempt to get back at him. It was a pathetic effort. Even I was surprised at how much my insult skills have decreased.

I really needed some sleep right now, but there was still one more thing I had to do before I pass out on the comfort of my bed. I walked towards my brother who was chatting casually with Riza, probably catching up on some old times. He saw me and the conversation stopped immediately.

"Um … I'll give you two a minute." Riza squeezed my shoulder and left us alone.

I bit my bottom lip, "Sorry … you know … for making you worry." I mumbled quietly, unsure if he even heard them.

"Me too." He gave me a quick smile and patted my head gently, like how he used to when we were little. "I didn't mean to get angry at you. I was just … if something were to happen to you, I'll never be able to forgive myself."

"Did you forget I'm the best alchemist in this country? Or this continent, for that matter?" I grinned widely, knowing I'm already forgiven. "Nothing could have happened to me. I'd like to see them try."

"Still. I'm your brother, Em. I'm _supposed_ to worry about you."

I rolled my eyes; "But … why did you follow me? You've never been this worried."

His eyes suddenly turned to the floor, refusing to meet my eyes. After a while, he sighed softly. "Do you know what day it is today?" He asked gently.

I searched my brain … nope, I haven't been keeping the dates for a long time now.

"It's been twelve years already." Again, Chris whispered quietly, looking away from me.

That hit me like a rock in the face. It's the twelfth year anniversary of my parents' death.

Today? What the hell? How could I have forgotten? I was so angry at myself that my hands shook at my side, clenching and unclenching.

"I'd forgotten…" I whispered weakly, hating myself more than anyone right now.

Chris squeezed my arm gently, as if telling me it was alright. But it wasn't. Nothing is alright. Not a God damn thing! Does this mean I no longer want revenge? No, it can't be. I've spent every second of the last twelve years training, working harder than anyone else, went through all the unreasonable requests Bradley brought up, did everything I could to become stronger … just so that I could avenge my family. And now … their death seemed so long ago that I could not even, as their only daughter, remember the day they perished.

"I thought … you might do something stupid, that's why I followed you." Chris confessed.

"I didn't remember…" I stared at my brother in disbelief. "How could I not–" A sharp pain ran through my head, catching me off guard. My vision blacked and suddenly, all I could see was red. A sea of blood, of fire.

_The house cracked in the flames, threatening to collapse. I was sitting in a pool of blood … my parents' blood, who lay cold and dead beside me. _

I realised with a start that this was a memory … a part of my memory which I had forgotten.

_Smoke rose up as ashes fell, suffocating my lungs. My mouth was dry and I could not form a single word; the sky was black and all the stars have disappeared from the sky. I watched shadows emerging from the smoke, surrounding us as a tall man approached me. He bent down, grabbed my head in his strong hand and slammed it to the side of the bookshelf. Everything was so bright, so vivid as if it was happening right now … apart from his face. He was just inches away from me, but his face remained a blur, as if there was an invisible barrier preventing me from remembering his face. _

The memory changed_ … I was surrounded by nothing but endless whiteness and emptiness. There was a gigantic gate standing in front of me; I touched it, it felt cool against my hand and for a moment, I felt its energy. So powerful it consumed me almost immediately. _

_I turned and saw a figure sitting cross-legged in the empty space. It suddenly stood up and faced me, its eyes burning straight into me. Through me._

_And that's when I saw it. A part of my memory I had forgotten finally resurfaced. _

_Staring back into me, was none other than myself. I stared in bewilderment as my exact copy smiled wickedly, eyes mocking my own …_

I didn't realise I was screaming until the sound deafened my ears, but I couldn't stop. As my mind travelled back to reality, my knees weakened and I collapsed to the floor, trembling as if I was in hypothermia.

I was vaguely aware of the fact that I was surrounded by a number of people. Someone had their arms around me, trying desperately to calm me down. Chris? Is that you? I don't know anymore. My head was so confused at this new piece of forgotten memory that nothing else registered.

I screamed and screamed; my voice broke, my eardrums explode, I screamed until it completely took over my body, I screamed until it was all that's left of me.

.

* * *

_**.**_

_**~Chris~**_

The phone rang loudly in the room; I reached over to grab it and placed it next to my ear.

"It's me." The familiar voice sounded on the other side.

"I know." I replied quietly, not wanting anyone else to hear. "I assume you've heard."

"A terrible, _terrible_ thing to happen, don't you think? Poor girl." The deep voice taunted as my stomach twisted with disgust and hatred.

"Just shut up!" I raised my voice, unable to keep the anger within me. I looked around, not wanting to draw any attention. "I can't keep this from her anymore. It's not fair. She has a right to know."

He chuckled although I could feel his menace penetrating the phone cord. "That's entirely up to you. It always has been. But … could you really afford to? What would she think of you when you tell her the truth? She'll never look at you the same way. She'll hate you for the rest of your life. Is that what you want? Go ahead and tell her then, no one's stopping you. No one ever has."

My hand clenched into fists and I slammed it to the side of the wall, torn between the choice. He was right, she would never even look at me, let alone forgive me, when she learns the truth. It's been more than a decade, how long can I keep this hidden?

"And don't forget what it'll do to her," he continued, "it could … it _will_ destroy her. You might not care about what she thinks of you, but I know you care about her the most. You're the only one who can protect her, and how are you going to do that when you become the person in the world she hates the most?"

I bit my lip until I tasted blood. I didn't want to hide it any longer … all these years … it kills me every day to think about what would happen once she finds out. After the death of our parents, her desire to die was so desperate that even I could not help her. But after finding another goal in life, she pulled through it. If she finds out the only thing that kept her alive was … nothing but lies … what would that do to her?

He was wrong; I didn't have a choice. I've never had any choice in this matter. It was too late by the time I had found out, but I had to protect her. I couldn't let her fragile heart take something that terrible. As her only brother, her only family, I had to lie, and continue lying.

"I didn't think you would," he sounded disappointed. "After all, you care too much. I've told you before, compassion is your greatest weakness."

"You're a monster."

"That may be," he laughed, "but I saved her. Never forget this, although I may be the one who caused her the most pain, I am also her saviour. Without me, she would have no purpose in life. She is the product of my experiment, the ultimate weapon, she will _become me._"

"No, she won't." I said confidently. "She's different. No matter what you do, she will never be like you."

"We'll see about that. Oh, and by the way, it's been bothering me for a bit. When you saw her dragged inside by those men, why did you wait for backup? We both know you could have taken them down faster than anyone. You are, after all, even better than her in combat. I taught you that."

I swallowed, wanting to change the topic.

"I see," he said slowly although I didn't even say anything. "Just how long are you going to hide this from her as well? Haven't you got enough secrets? Anyway, I have to go. I'll be in contact with you later."

And with his last message, the line went dead. My hands were tight around the phone and I had to pry them off forcefully. My palms were sweating and I had to steady myself before leaving the room.

I couldn't bring myself to tell her. Not yet at least. For now, I have to pretend to be her brother who does not have any military experience.

What he said before still worried me, even though I was so confident in negating it. What if she really does become … like him? I've seen how much they are alike already, both ambitious, always striving for the best, independent…

No. I told myself sternly. I won't let it happen. I won't let her wander off her path, I don't care if she'll hate me in the future, I deserve it anyway. It's not a sin that can be forgiven easily, if at all. Even if I become the person she can't even look in the eye with, I will make sure she carries out her revenge.

It's the least I could do.

* * *

**SOOOOOOOO SOOOORRRRRY for the delay :/ I have no good excuse...It's just been really hard to write lately, is this what they call writer's block? **

**Anyway, thank you for those patient enough to wait around and I award you with a bonus chapter! Thank you so much for sticking with this story despite my infrequent updates, it really means a lot to me :) **

**I do have the whole story planned out but sometimes it's hard finding inspiration to write, especially when I have two essay deadlines next month :( BUT, I PROMISE to try my best to update regularly, hopefully once every week now that I've got my plot sorted. So please bear with me for a bit longer.**


	6. Chapter 6

_**(Chapter 6 – Ambivalent)**_

_**~Roy~**_

I paced back and forth, circling the room like an animal in distress. Payton's been in her room for over three hours; it took five men to overpower her and bring her back here. To be honest, it scared me to see her like this. It wasn't of her character to just lose it completely.

Having spoken to Chris earlier, I learnt about her parents. It came as a shock as I did not expect someone as outspoken and lively as her to be harbouring such a tragic past. Judging from her personality, I'd mistaken her for a spoilt child.

But the reason why she suddenly broke down was still a mystery to the both of us. I don't believe I've heard the full story from Chris. Ever since the first day we met, I've had the intuition that he's hiding something. Not just from me, from her as well. I could tell by the way he acts around her, as if he feels guilty.

It's not my place to ask, but I couldn't help but feel sorry for Payton. What could be so bad that he couldn't even let his own sister know?

The realisation that I cared more about her than I had originally planned to also came as a shock. How long had it been since I've cared for someone this much? I honestly can't remember, all I know is that against my better judgement, I had the urge to get to know her better. It was as if she had a special hold on me, making me feel for the first time in so many years even though I knew I shouldn't be having these feelings.

And now I was torn between the choice of whether or not to check up on her. There wasn't a sound coming from the other side of the wall although I'm certain she's still in there. I sighed, annoyed at myself for feeling this way. What the hell happened to the old me? The one that didn't give a damn about anything, didn't feel anything and wasn't tied down by anything? It was as if I could feel myself changing, ever since she came into my life.

Just as I was contemplating this new revelation, I heard movement across the wall. I listened quietly and heard the soft opening of the door. I rushed out of the room immediately, catching her before she could wander off.

She stood startled, surprised to find me. Her face was pale as if she was sick and her body never looked more fragile than now.

"What?" She asked casually, as if this morning never happened.

"Have you calmed down?"

She looked away; "I apologise for the scene I made this morning. It won't happen again."

That's not my point! I sighed, "What happened?"

She pressed her lips into a thin line as if reluctant to answer. After a brief pause she finally spoke. "I remembered something. From the past."

That's right. Her brother mentioned she lost a portion of her memories of her childhood as a result of what happened to her. Was it a horrible memory? Did the shock traumatise her so much?

"I'm sure Chris filled you in," she said coldly, "I don't remember anything the night my parents were murdered. And this morning, a part of it came back to me."

"Anything I should know?"

She hesitated again, finally meeting my eyes. "Do you remember when you said that alchemy is about equivalent exchange, and that only those who have opened the 'gate' can perform alchemy without a transmutation circle?"

I nodded.

"And you wondered how I could perform alchemy without a circle when I didn't open the gate?"

I nodded once again; yes, I was curious about that too. Did she find some loop hole in the equivalent exchange?

"Well," she said softly, "I remember now. I did open the gate."

I tried unsuccessfully to hide the shock on my face; I was not expecting that.

"It was a long time ago," she brushed her hair out of her eyes and I saw just how tired she looked. "I think the shock of it all made me forget but … I'm pretty sure I saw it. And I guess it's also the reason why I have so much control over all the elements. Before that, I could only exercise my alchemy to a degree, as if there was a barrier restricting me, but afterwards everything felt sharper, and easier to control than before."

I chewed on this new information; her, opening the gate? How old must she have been? Younger than Fullmetal at least; how the hell did she survive it? And most importantly … I suddenly grabbed her by the shoulder, panic spreading over me.

"Equivalent exchange, Payton." I said anxiously, "What did you sacrifice?"

She looked up confused and shrugged; "Nothing I guess. I mean, I don't remember anything else, just that gate and …"

"And?"

"And someone who looked identical to me. It was as if … she _was_ me." She swallowed uneasily, distraught at the memory.

"In order to gain something, you have to sacrifice something of equal value in return." I explained worriedly. "You must have paid some kind of price, Payton. Think, what was taken away from you?"

I saw her roll her eyes sarcastically; "You mean apart from my parents and everything else in my life? There's nothing left of me for them to take." She said bitterly, her words stings with fresh pain.

I looked at her in bewilderment, how can she not be worried about it? She might have paid some really huge price and she won't even know about it! And why the heck am I so worked up? Get a grip, Roy! It's not you that's opened the gate.

"Anyway, I've got a session with Bradley in about an hour, so I'm going to go get ready." She shifted, implying that I should move out of her way.

I didn't budge; what she said still troubled me. Everything about her is a mystery, and it just made me even more curious to find out more about her.

"Are you going to move?" She asked, obviously annoyed at me. I sighed and stepped out of her way, guess I'll have to do some personal research on her.

"Don't overwork yourself," I spurted out, surprising the both of us. Was that a genuine concern coming from me? She must be changing me, I've never cared about anyone this much. "And you'd better get your head checked up at a hospital." I pointed at the fact that there was still some dried blood on the back of her head.

She looked alarmed, her strong exterior melted away for a second and I saw the small, fragile person that she was underneath. It was only for a moment but it touched my long frozen heart and I felt it ache against my chest. She regained her composure quickly and left hurriedly down the stairs.

I leaned back against the wall, running a hand through my hair and staring up at the ceiling. This is getting really complicated now. I know I should keep my distance, it's still not too late. I shouldn't let myself be distracted by anything, or anyone.

The thought was almost funny, and I chuckled quietly. I was wrong. It _was_ too late. I had only realised this but … I've allowed myself to be too intertwined with her life. And now … it has become impossible for me to withdraw.

My head was telling me to focus only on my goal, and the future of this country; while my heart ached for her. Why her? Why only her? I can have any women I want, and yet … why do I only feel anything for her?

.

* * *

_**.**_

_**~Emma~**_

"Have you rested well?" Bradley asked, even though I know he was just trying to make small talk. He never really cared about my welfare anyway, only on how to make me stronger.

"Yes, Sir. Thank you." I replied robotically, my mind still distracted by Roy's words. I tried to forget them and, although I tried to convince myself he was wrong, it still scared me.

I never thought I'd be scared by anything.

What if I had unknowingly exchanged something important? It can't have been anything physical like the Elrics, but then what? What deal did I strike back then? My head started throbbing again, as if everytime I try to remember that night all I get is a brick wall.

"You seem to be distracted," Bradley noted, eyes burning into me.

Should I tell him? Apart from Chris, he was the only other person who stayed by my side after the hell I went through. I was practically raised by him after he gave me a new purpose in life.

"I think I remember something." I said slowly, "from the night my parents were killed."

He wore his casual smile on his face, but his eyes sent shivers down my spine. "Is that so? And what exactly do you remember?"

I swallowed, and I swear I saw a glimpse of menace hidden behind his usual smile. I shook it off; "I think … I remember opening the gate."

"Was that before the murder or after?"

I searched through my brain; the memory about standing in front of the gate clearly came after I was surrounded by my parents corpse … the thought of it made my stomach turn and I had to think about something else to not faint.

"After," I replied in a small voice, barely able to contain my emotions.

He appeared to be contemplating this and paced back and forth on the training ground. "And do you remember the price you paid?"

No, and this is what scared me the most. I shook my head.

"But that is the reason why your alchemy skill is of the highest degree. The things you have controls over, most people cannot even imagine it."

I guess. My alchemy has saved my ass more times than I can remember, but is that worth the price I paid?

"Are you regretting your decision to open the gate?"

I was surprised he asked that. Because in my memory, or the bits I remember anyway, there was nothing about who opened the gate and why. Was I really the one who opened it? It'd probably make sense, since I remember having the strong urge to bring back my dead parents. But why don't I remember any of it? And even if I was the one who performed human transmutation, do I regret it? I did gain enormous amount of knowledge and power as a result.

"I don't know," I answered truthfully.

Bradley didn't look impressed by my answer. "If you didn't gain such power, how could you ever hope to carry out your revenge? If you're still up for it, that is."

Of course I am! Anger boiled inside me, how can I not want to avenge my parents? What kind of question is that?

"To complete your revenge, is it not true that your alchemy must aid you?"

I considered this; my parents were both skilled people, whoever killed them must have been strong. "I guess."

"So does it matter what you sacrificed at the gate, as long as this exchanged power carried out your revenge for you?"

I stood in shock, his words reopening old wounds in my memories. Do I really want revenge that badly that I don't care what I had to sacrifice in the process?

"Just how far are you willing to go? Think about that yourself." The smile returned to Bradley's face and the menace in his voice also faded. "Shall we start training?"

As I followed him to the battle ground, his words lingered in the air, asking over and over again in my head. How far would I go? Does it matter what I exchanged, as long as I can avenge my family? I mean, that's what I've spent the last twelve years training for, right? So why am I starting to doubt myself?

I knew the answer. I was scared that I may have offered the gate something I could not afford to lose.

.

* * *

.

It was late afternoon by the time we finished; I stayed behind to clear up the facility, wiping the sweat on my forehead. This was probably the hardest I have ever worked in years; I must have been building up a lot of stress lately.

The autumn heat was killing me; even the wind was humid. Hot weather always makes me feel irritated for some reason, so in the end, I decided I'll finish cleaning up another day.

As I walked out of the building, the sun was already slipping from the sky, dying the clouds a burnt orange. I walked mindlessly along the road occupied by only a few pedestrians; most were all eager to get back home.

I realised my hands were shaking; I brought them up and hugged myself, trying to calm them down, but to no avail. Instead, my body started unwillingly shaking as well. Was I just too tired from training? This wasn't like me. It's as if I've gone back to being a child. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my anxious heart. The events earlier on still haunted me, more than I wanted to admit. First was the shock I received from regaining part of my memory, then there was the fear of not knowing what I had exchanged when I opened the gate , and lastly, Bradley's lecture made me wonder whether I've chosen the right path.

This kind of thinking was getting me nowhere, instead, I was going round in circles, doubting myself, negating my doubts, and then I'm back to where I started.

Not knowing exactly where I was headed, I found myself standing at the entrance of a fancy looking bar. The music coming from inside was calm and relaxing, just what I needed for a place to gather my thoughts.

I walked in shyly, not knowing what to expect since I have never been to one before. I guessed it was probably the same as a restaurant. I sat myself down at the counter and glanced around quickly. This was a bad habit of mine, too many years spent in the military can make you doubt everything and treat everyone as a potential enemy to you.

"What can I get you?" The bartender asked warmly, grinning.

I was at a loss for words. Glancing up at the different bottles behind him, I picked one randomly and went for it. Who cares what I order anyway, I just needed a place to cool my head and calm myself down before I go back.

"Coming right up." He disappeared under and emerged quickly with a tall glass in his hand. With a swift motion, he unclipped the top of the bottle and poured the drink into the glass with experienced hands.

"Thanks," I mumbled, taking a little sip, almost spitting it right out. Luckily, I forced it to go all the way down before my gag reflex could work. My stomach churned at the burn and my mouth felt dry. This was the second time I've had alcohol, and it certainly wasn't getting any easier.

"Is that okay?" The bartender asked, eyeing my expressions curiously.

I gave him a weak smile, "Yes, thank you." I didn't want him or anyone else to find out how inexperienced I was, so I gulped half of the drink down, closing my eyes and trying to shut out the burning sensation in my throat.

Yuck, I feel like I'm going to throw up. My head spun and I had to put the glass down momentarily. Here I was, thinking it was going to calm my thoughts. It was having the opposite effect; I was so disgusted by the taste that I couldn't think about anything else rather than how to get rid of this drink without offending the poor bartender.

I could feel my rationality slowly slipping away from me as the alcohol took control over my mind. My hands were now shaking more than before. Brilliant! I groaned inward and tried to stable them by tucking them into my pockets. I know deep down that I was scared; more scared than I have been for years. I hated admitting it because I knew it was a weakness, and I can't afford to show any of that. To myself or to anyone else. I have to be strong, no matter what happens, no matter how terrified I am, for every second of every day, I have to pretend to everyone that I'm okay.

It was getting exhausting.

I wanted to cry, to have someone comfort me, telling me it was going to be alright. I wanted desperately to act like a child, since I never got the chance to be one anyone. But that was impossible. Chris would be worried to see me like this; he would always blame himself for everything. And I have already made the promise not to cry a long time ago.

I sighed heavily, only realising now how complicated my life has become. Nothing but lies, a façade I have to put up every day to conceal just how weak I really am inside.

Time passed slowly; I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I did not realise I had company until I was cornered. Four men dressed like black stood on all side of me, carefully blocking all my escape routes.

"Honey, it's getting late. Do you need somewhere to stay?" One of the men spoke, his alcoholic breath dulling my sense of smell. I wriggled my nose in disgust, turning away from them.

The men looked more amused than offended; "Aww, don't be like that, honey. Tell you what, if you need somewhere to stay, why don't you come with us? We won't charge you for rent."

They were seriously getting on my nerves, and who the hell are they calling '_honey'_?! I ignored their approach, staring down at my half full glass with great interest.

"Playing hard to get, are you?" He stepped forward and landed his filthy hand on my arm, gripping it tightly. "Come with us and we'll show you a good time, sweetie."

_Sweetie_? _What the hell is wrong with them? And get your paw off my arm, bastard! _I remained where I was, still treating them as they were thin air. I really couldn't be bothered to deal with them right now, as if I don't have enough to worry about already.

"Are you going to keep ignoring us?" He raised his voice threateningly, his hand squeezing my upper arm painfully. "We've been very patient with you, but it looks like we'll have to use force."

The poor bartender suddenly stood up, waving his hand in the air, telling the men to leave. To my surprise, the front guy took out a high calibre gun from his coat and waved it around the place, scaring off the little customers left and forcing the bartender to back off into the other room.

Just how low are these guys? Showing weapons in broad day light! Well, technically it was nearly night but … just wait until I get my hands on them!

I stood up, getting ready to step in, but felt my body slump back down into the seat again as blood rushed into my head. Looks like I'm paying the price for drinking more than I could handle. I shook my head, trying to clear my vision but everything was blurry and dancing around me. This is not good. Why did I have to abuse my body to this point? Did it really make me feel any better than I was? Did it really make the fear go away?

The men obviously saw my inability to even stand, as they sniggered within their group and turned their attention back to me again, momentarily putting their weapon away.

"Had too much to drink, did you?" He landed his hand on my shoulder, getting me to stand up. "Don't worry, we'll take care of you."

I felt sick; both from his words and the effects of that drink. Oh no, I don't even have the strength to push him away, let alone use alchemy.

My body moved involuntarily as the man forcibly led me towards the door. I heard the bell on the door sound as someone barged into the scene. Within seconds, my arm was free from the man's filthy paw and suddenly I was pulled to the side by another figure.

I glanced up in my trance like state and saw Roy standing protectively in front of me; he was facing the group so I couldn't read his expressions.

"What the hell?" The man who just got his hand slapped off glared at Roy furiously. "Who do you think you are?"

"Someone you don't want to mess with." Roy said coldly, his hands clutched into fists as if he was trying to calm himself down. "Touch her again and you're going to lose a hand."

I stood aside, watching this as if I was in a dream. Everything just seemed so strange; my incapability to save myself … Roy ending up coming to my rescue, again … everything suddenly seemed so comical that it felt like a scene out of a story book rather than reality.

The men were surprised at Roy's threat, to be honest, so was I. I never knew he was the type to make threats, but hey, first time for everything, right?

Why was he here in the first place? And he saved me … again.

Can I think he cares about me more than I thought he did? Can I afford to think that? My feelings were conflicted, pulling me one way then the other as if there were two souls within me fighting for dominance over the same body.

The person who had his hand on me took out the gun from his pocket, hoping it would give him an upper hand. I almost laughed; does he not know he's dealing with the military? Guns to us are like water to fish. It's our natural habitat; does he seriously think we're at a disadvantage here?

Unsurprisingly, Roy apprehended the men quickly, forcing them onto the floor groaning in pain. As he turned back to me, his face was dark and it almost looked as if he's … angry?

Another new side. I've seen his smug look, his teasing side, his seriousness, but angry? That's a first.

Wait … is he angry at me? What the hell did I do?

My head somersaulted again and I felt my body swing as if I had no bones. Roy obviously saw this too; without a word, he grabbed me by the waist and hurled me onto his back like he's carrying a sack. I was too shocked to react, and by the time my brain had registered it, we were already walking out onto the street, earning many curious stares from pedestrians.

"What the – Let me down!" I slammed against his back angrily, both embarrassed and annoyed and still slightly drunk.

He said nothing, nor did he make it clear whether he was going to let me go anytime soon.

Eventually, the combined effects of the alcohol and pounding desperately on his back tired me out. I had no choice but to stop struggling and be carried back in silence. As I dipped my head onto his back, I realised how familiar his scent was. I've only noticed it a couple of times, but for some reason, it already became something I recognise and craved.

Had he always had such a broad back? I remembered to the few times when we had made contact and realised I had never noticed before. As I sunk myself into his warm scent, I became aware of the fact that I didn't hate this. This close contact with another human being … I didn't hate it. Unconsciously, somewhere between my dream like state, I gripped his coat tightly, pulling myself closer.

And for the first time in God knows how long, I surrendered myself completely to the moment, treasuring it as if it could disappear any moment. Fearing for the time when I would have to let it go.

.

* * *

.

After being forced fed ten gallons of water, the alcohol finally wore off, but now I feel a different kind of sickness. Guess that's my punishment for abusing my body so much.

I perched on the couch, leaning my head back and trying to get some rest. But I could hardly do that while _he_ was still in the room.

Speaking of that… "What are you still doing here?" I mumbled incoherently, too tired to even form speech.

"Making sure you don't do something stupid, again." Roy leaned against the door frame, crossing his arms as if he was still angry at me. Seriously, why the hell is he so pissed?

"Thanks for saving me," I must still be under the influence of alcohol, surprising myself at how nice I was being to him. Lately, it seems like all I ever say to him are either words of insult or gratitude. "And I wasn't being stupid. I knew what I was doing." I lied.

"Did you?" He raised an eyebrow, easily seeing through my lie.

I blushed, looking away. "No," I confessed. "I just … didn't know what else to do."

He was silent, as if willing me to carry on. Did I want to spill everything out to him? He's not exactly top of the list on the people I want to confide in, but for some reason beyond my understanding, in that brief moment when he carried me back, I felt safe. So completely safe that I nearly forgot about everything else in the world, and went back to being just Emma Payton, and not the Elemental Alchemist.

"You were right," I began, still not meeting his eyes. "it does worry me. The price I paid at the gate which I have no memory of…" My body shuddered at the thought and my hands once again started to shake. This was not great; I tried to hide them in my pockets, not wanting anyone to see my weak side.

I stood up and walked over towards the window, hoping the fresh air will calm me down. As I took in the fresh scent of the night, I realised it was not making me feel any better. I had to bite down hard on my bottom lip to stop my teeth from clattering, either from the cold or … could it be, fear?

The cold breeze felt unforgiving against my bare skin, sending shivers down my spine. "I'm … scared…" I admitted, although it was more of a question for myself rather than a statement for him. "And it scares me more that I'm feeling like this."

Was I making any sense? Roy wasn't saying anything, and he was so quiet I wasn't sure whether he was still in the room. I hoped he wasn't, since I didn't want him to find out about the real me, but I carried on anyway.

"I thought a drink could numb out those feelings, but I guess all it did was magnifying it. I just … hate feeling this way." I sighed frustratingly, trying to suppress the growing fear within me. "To be honest, I think it's better if I never found out the price I paid and just forgot about all these. Even if the memory came back to me, it's too late to change anything. Whatever I sacrificed, it's done."

An owl hooted in the distance, bringing back an eerie feeling of nostalgia and forgotten childhood. "I'm sure Chris told you. All my life, I've only worked towards one goal. To have retribution on the people responsible for the deaths of my parents. I have done everything I could to become stronger, hoping that one day I will finally be able to restore peace to their souls." I paused, emotions swelling up inside me as a strange thought occurred. Was I trying to avenge my parents because it was the right thing to do as their daughter, or because I felt guilty and responsible? I have no memory as to whether or not I tried to save my family on that night. What if I was hiding like a coward whilst watching the tragedy?

I didn't want to think about that now. Although at times, I've told myself that I was only a child at the time, there was nothing I could do, I knew it was a lie. Even as a child, my alchemy was still more powerful than an average adult. And how was I able to survive and not them? Why me? Why did they spare me?

"I never wanted any of this," I said through gritted teeth, trying to calm my conflicted feelings. It was true, at times I felt like I no longer wanted to spend my life pursuing an unknown enemy. What's the point of such a life?

"All I want to do is to live in a quiet place, together with Chris. Where the military can't find us, a place with no alchemists and no conflicts. I want to forget all about my past and start again. Is that bad? Is it bad that I'm fed up with the idea of carrying out my revenge? I must be horrible to think like that."

Wait, did I just say that out loud? I swear I was lecturing myself in my head.

My knees were weak and I felt I could collapse at any moment. I could no longer disguise the fact that I was shaking to the core like I'm having a fit. It suddenly felt so cold, like something was trying to freeze me from inside out.

My fear was winning, taking over my body, twisting it and turning it into its marionette. I could no longer control it as my body started convulsing under its influence. It was a horrible feeling, one that made tears swell in my eyes but I refused to let them fall.

Suddenly a pair of arms pulled me back and I felt my body collide with another. I was so absorbed in my monologue that I didn't feel Roy coming towards me. His arms were wrapped around my shoulders, holding me close to him. This was the second time today he's shocked me, and I stood idiotically, not knowing how to react.

I felt his arms tightening around me, not enough to hurt but enough to steady me before I could collapse onto the floor. He leaned his head down next to my neck, his warmth slowly chasing away the cold.

"I won't let you go until you stop shaking." He said, his voice impossible for me to read.

My heart was racing a marathon, beating like crazy like it's about to explode out of my chest. I could feel the redness spreading upwards towards my cheeks, and suddenly the fear disappeared. Being in his arms had this strange effect on me, making me feel protected and strong.

As if I could push him away. I lowered my head and felt my chin touch the top of his arm, treasuring this human contact. Of course I can't reject him, because the truth is, I liked it. Being cared for, being protected, I wanted to feel like this always.

And in that moment, I finally understood how much he cares. I thought it was an illusion, that I had imagined it, but I could no longer deny it.

A small part of me was happy at the thought, while the other parts warned me against it. Although I knew that at some point, we all have to go back to how we were before. Him being my arrogant boss, and me acting strong and pretending to be okay again.

But for now, I let my walls crumble down and surrendered my fragility to this man. It wouldn't last forever, I knew that. We both knew it. And that's why I will always treasure it.

Because isn't something only beautiful when you know it's not going to last?

.

* * *

**Bonus chapter! I never update two chapters in a role but because of my absence (*guilty*) I think you guys deserved it :) As I said, I will definitely make an effort to update regularly, even if that means writing at ridiculous hours in the morning. I AM going to finish this, I'd never abandon my story half way through so don't worry about that. **

**Next update will probably be around the weekend...I'm going to set myself a deadline, one chapter every Saturday. So please check back then for an update :)**

**Again, THANK YOU SO MUCH for sticking with this story :D**


	7. Chapter 7

_**(Chapter 7 – Memory Lane)**_

_**~Emma~**_

I always knew the nightmare would come back to haunt me.

And nothing I do was going to prepare me for how much it still hurts.

The sky was the same colour as before, a dark red, hidden behind a layer of smoke. Was it the fire, or the blood? Either way, the redness seemed to spread all around me like a blanket, enveloping me with fear and pain.

The bodies of my long dead parents lay splattered around the room; I had no more tears left to cry so all I could do was stare at them as if I was a stranger looking down at the scene. Wood cracked and screamed under the flames; it was too hot … too dry … I couldn't breathe…

Once again I was surrounded by a group of men, each holding me at gunpoint. They made way as their leader came forth, his face still a blur to me. His huge hand grabbed my face and pushed me back against the wall, his face so close to mine yet I just couldn't see his exact features. I felt a splitting pain in my stomach and as I look down, I saw that I was bleeding.

The blood seemed to flow in a funny way. It ran its course around the room slowly, forming a gigantic circle, and when I feel like all my blood had been drained from my body, I saw what I had been forced to create.

A circle. A transmutation circle drawn with my blood.

All I could see was whiteness, and then nothing … then I found myself standing before the gate.

There was a figure sitting down opposite me; I walked towards it cautiously, and when it turned around, my suspicion was confirmed.

It was me staring back into my own eyes.

It smiled with a face that mirrored my own, and before I knew it, I was pulled into the gate. The doors closed harshly as I was pulled back into this strange world. All around me I could see pictures … no, they were memories, I realised. My memories.

Me and Chris playing near the meadows … my first day at the orphanage … starving near death … Chris finding me again in the dump … my state alchemist exam … everything flowed in and out of me, reminding me every second of a forgotten past.

Then there were new memories … knowledge that seemed to be from another world … it pierced through me and suddenly I felt as if I knew all the secrets of the universe. My head pounded with this new information and I could hardly contain them anymore. It was knowledge fit for a god, and I possessed it.

The end came quickly, and I found myself back in the ruins of my home. I was panting, lying in a pool of my own blood merged with my deceased family. The man approached me once again, he seemed pleased. Grabbing me by my head once more, he pressed me against the floor forcefully.

"You are my creation," he hissed viciously, "but for now, you need to forget me. Forget my face, everything, forget everything you think happened tonight."

The fear penetrated and magnified through my dream, and I could feel the same level of terror, if not more. He stood up and walked towards the door, his men leaving with him.

The room kept burning, and the ceiling was beginning to collapse but I lay immobilised on the floor. As I turned my head I saw my parents' empty eyes burning into mine, and I felt it. Their last emotions. I felt their regret, and their hate. And … disappointment? In me?

No! I didn't mean to! I didn't mean to open the gate! I'm sorry … I'm so sorry … please don't look at me like this … it wasn't my fault! Please don't … I'm scared … I can't move … I can't speak … I have to run … no, I have to kill … I have to … I have to…

"Emma!" A voice called to me; "Jesus, Emma! Wake up!"

I felt a great force shaking my body and with a jolt, I was awakened back into reality. My eyes were wide open but seeing nothing; my mouth was dry and I could hear someone screaming. Who was it? What happened?

Then I realised it was me. I was the one screaming my heart out.

As my vision returned I could see Roy half crouching down on top of me, shaking my shoulders violently and looking down at me with bewildered and worried eyes. The first moment I saw him, my fear evaporated and the screeching sound from my throat finally disappeared. He took my trembling body and folded me into his arms as if I was a baby, stroking my hair softly whilst rocking me gently. After a while, I managed to convince myself that it was only a dream, but even then my heart was still racing at abnormal speed.

I clutched his shirt tightly in my hands, taking in his warm scent. His arms were tight around me, making me feel supported and safe.

"Roy…" it was the only word my mouth could form at the moment without breaking up. It had a nice tone to it, and it surprised me how I had never called him that. I whispered his name into his chest, feeling its power chasing away the terror of my dreams. It was the first time I've heard him calling me by my first name; it felt different in a way, but I found that I didn't dislike it.

He pulled back and looked into my eyes; he said nothing, as if he could understand everything just by looking at me. It was a nice feeling, knowing that someone could know exactly what I was feeling without putting it into words. We stayed like that for a while, and when he made sure that I was calm again, he stood up.

"Will you be alright?" He asked softly, his eyes never leaving mine.

I nodded, not trusting my voice. But as I slipped back into bed the prospect of going back to that nightmare was so daunting that I had to jump out and grab on to the edge of his shirt to stop him from leaving.

I didn't care anymore if I was being weak and pathetic, I just didn't want to be alone tonight. It was as if he knew what I wanted; I saw him hesitate for a second, but whatever he was thinking of, he changed his mind and supported me back to the bed, laying me down gently.

He sat on the edge, brushing a strand of hair from my sweaty forehead. His touch felt cold against my burning skin, but also warm at the same time. Knowing he was going to be by my side, it didn't scare me anymore whether the nightmare was going to return.

I remembered about the promise I made to myself all those years ago … that I was going to forget words like lonely or painful. Because then, I'll be able to live better that way. But … why does my heart feel so content when he's sitting here next to me?

I was so tired, but I felt so safe and protected with him that it took less than a second for me to drift off to sleep.

This time with my newly found strength, I refused to let the dreams take me.

.

* * *

.

The first thing I noticed when I woke up was that I'm not alone. As I moved between the sheets, I became aware of another presence. My body tensed and I turned my head abruptly, meeting face to face with Roy who lay asleep. Next to me. In my bed.

"Ah!" I jumped out immediately, my energy now fully recovered. I dragged the sheets off the bed and backed against the window, wrapping the bedding around my semi-naked body.

He woke up with a start and scanned the room alarmingly, seemingly still half asleep. I threw a pillow at him, gesturing for him to turn the other way while I changed.

"What are you still doing here?" I asked, confused by his presence. Then what happened last night returned to me in a blur as if it happened in a dream. I thought it _was_ a dream … but obviously not. So … did I really ask him to stay? I swear I imagined the whole thing. Oh no, what the hell was wrong with me? How am I going to face him again?

He pushed the pillow off his face and slipped out of my bed. "It's not like I had a choice," he mumbled, "you weren't really going to let go of my shirt anytime soon."

Embarrassment swept over me; "Don't get so cocky. It just happened that you were there. And I wasn't really in the right state if mind, so…"

"Well, it's good to see you're back to your old self, Payton" he replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes as he made for the door. "you can get today off. Build your strength up, you're going to need it on your next mission."

And with that, he left the room. I stood there for a second before sitting back down on the bed; I woke up so suddenly that my head was still spinning. I slapped myself mentally, regretting the things I said. But it was all so strange to me, this new feeling of happiness and warmth that I felt last night was so overwhelming I didn't know how else to react.

I reminded myself that the next time I see him, I'll be sure to apologise for the way I freaked out this morning and thank him for staying with me last night. That's right. That's what I will do. I made a mental note and suddenly felt pleased. It felt like I was changing, or rather, it felt like my hard exterior was melting away. I smiled to myself, noticing how nice it was to be myself around him. It's as if it's impossible to act tough for long around him; as if he could see straight through to the real me.

The nightmare from last night was long forgotten; instead it was replaced with thoughts of him. Why? Why only him? I had no answers. I only knew that whenever I'm with him, my heart sings with so much joy that I could almost believe I was living a normal life.

Almost.

And then reality crashes back in, reminding me exactly why I was here, and what needed to be done.

.

* * *

.

I caught Chris just in time as I left the building. He looked surprised to see me, and I realised that I still haven't had time to talk to him about my memories. I wasn't even sure whether I wanted to or not, but if he could help me to fill in the missing gaps then I can't risk not letting him know.

"Em!" He flashed me an unsure smile and ruffled my hair affectionately, "Shouldn't you be resting?"

I rolled my eyes, "I'm not sick, Chris."

"You really scared me," he sighed, "I never thought I'd see you like that again." He said softly, the pain leaking through from his voice.

I knew then that I couldn't tell him. He was already shouldering so much responsibilities, how can I let him worry more? I'll think of another way to fill in the blanks. It'll pain him to know that I opened the gate and sacrificed something important, and I couldn't hurt him again.

"So what's happening with you?" I asked light heartedly, changing the subject.

He shrugged, his eyes still hard and I had to find another way to distract him.

"You know, we've been in Central for two months now and I still have no idea where you live!" I said shockingly, which was true, since I was extremely curious as to why he turned down the offer of living in the dormitories.

That got his attention and he gave me a sheepish grin. "Well … let's just say that I found a place to stay in the city."

"Can I go visit?" I asked hopefully, the painful subject long forgotten. "Oh please Chris! It's hardly fair for you to hide it from me."

"I'm not so sure you'd want to…" he frowned, as if remembering something bad and shuddered. "You might not be able to get rid of him, you know."

Ohh, mysterious. That just made me even more excited and curious. "Come on! I want to see! Pretty please?" I flashed my eyes and pouted, knowing he would not be able to resist.

He looked at me for a second and groaned, giving up. "Fine! Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you."

I grinned happily, content with the feeling of victory as I followed him down the streets. My imagination was going wild as I tried to guess what kind of people Chris was living with.

"They're not the mafia, are they?" I asked in horror.

He tried to hold in his laughter, "No! Where did you get that from? Don't worry, they're perfectly good people, you'll see. We're nearly there."

It didn't take long before we reached a building which I presumed was where Chris lived. It looked pretty decent from the outside, not somewhere you'd expect a murderer or a crime lord to reside in. Then again, looks can be deceiving.

Chris rang the door bell and a young woman opened the door. She was very beautiful, definitely not in the mafia then, and I became incredibly suspicious at her relationship with my brother. If they're living together …

"Emma, I want you to meet Grecia. Grecia, this is my little sister, Emma."

"Nice to meet you," I said timidly, eyeing her up and down trying to work out what was going on between them.

She gave me a kind smile and extended her hand, "It's so good to finally meet you, Emma. We've heard a lot about you, it's like finally meeting the legend."

My face reddened in embarrassment as I returned her handshake, worried about what Chris had told her.

"Please come in," She held the door open as we stepped in. I thanked her quietly and scanned the room; it was very homy and spacious, and I became increasingly jealous at how Chris had managed to get himself to stay here.

A man emerged from the rooms and stared at us with great interest. Grecia walked towards him and led him towards us.

"Honey, this is Emma." She introduced, "the one we've been hearing so much about."

He studied me for a while, his eyes burning into me from the back of his glasses. Finally, after what seemed like eternity, he cracked a smile and reached for something in his jacket.

I tensed; oh no, he's not really the mafia boss, is he? Just as I was preparing myself for the potential danger of a gun fight he pulled out something else from his pocket and held it up in front of my face. It was so close that I had back a few steps to take in the picture.

And I was suddenly confused.

It was a picture of a little girl, a beautiful little girl flashing a big, innocent smile. I blinked, trying to understand the meaning behind this.

"Isn't she just beautiful?" He sniffed as he held up more photos in front of my face, each of the same girl in different poses. "This is my super cute daughter, Elicia, the most beautiful little girl in the world! She's not here at the moment though, it's a shame but she'll be back later on. Here! Keep these!" He shoved the photos into my hand despite my protesting and danced across the room happily as if he just won the lottery.

My head snapped towards Chris, demanding an explanation.

I told you so. He mouthed the words and went to calm the guy down. I clutched the pictures in my hand, unsure as to what to do with them.

"Don't mind him, he's always like this with guests" Grecia took them from my hands to my relief. "This is my husband, Maes Hughes. Darling, please behave yourself in front of our guest." She scolded him and he calmed down immediately, staring up at her with puppy like eyes.

"Um … I hope I'm not intruding or anything. It's just that I was curious about where my brother lived. Please don't fight because of me." I said nervously.

The both looked at me like I've just said something funny and burst out laughing. "Oh no, we're not fighting." Grecia led me towards the couch and sat me down. "You can come here anytime you want. I'll go get you a drink while you make yourself comfortable."

I wondered if that's what being married was like; they are so oddly close with each other that it's hard for me to even imagine it.

"I've heard a lot about you, Emma Payton." Hughes sat down opposite me and stared at me with great interest. "The youngest alchemist in the country, or the world, even. You do live up to your expectations."

I shifted uncomfortably under all the attention I was getting. "I don't know what my brother has told you," I gave Chris a 'you're dead' look, "but they're probably either not true or exaggerated beyond the truth."

"Oh no, your brother has been very secretive about you." He smiled and despite the odd incident, he felt like a really kind person. "Most of the stories came from your boss, actually."

My brain froze for a second, trying to work out who my boss is, and I nearly jumped out of my seat when the realisation dawned upon me. "You know him? You now Roy?"

He chuckled at my expressions, "Why yes. We've known each other for a long time. It was him who arranged to have your brother stay with us for a while until he found a place of his own."

I couldn't believe this. Roy went out of his way to make sure Chris had somewhere to stay? It didn't sound like him, I bet he's got some kind of hidden agenda. Grecia returned from the kitchen with a tray of beautiful teacups, I thanked her as I took in the fresh scent of the tea leaves.

"So … are you two going out yet?"

Hughes' comment made me choke on my drink. The hot liquid burnt the back of my throat and it took everything I had not to spit it right out. I swallowed it painfully, trying to stop my coughing and waved my hand crazily in the air as if he just said the most ridiculous thing.

"What?!" I placed the drink down, shaking my head so hard I swear it's going to fall off. "No way! How could you even think that? No. Nuh-uh. Not in a million years. No freaking way." I had to shut my mouth as I realised I've probably said more than was necessary.

He looked amused, and I wondered whether he was going to tell Roy about this. Hopefully not, as if it's not awkward enough already.

"Don't be so hard on him," Hughes sipped at the tea as Grecia disappeared into the room again. "He's a good person, he just doesn't know how to express himself, that's all."

Why is everyone saying that? But there was something in his voice that sparked my interest; he stared down at the cups but not really seeing them, as if remembering something from the past.

"He's also human, you know? It may not seem like it, but he can get hurt too." Hughes became silent and inclined his head to the side, watching me. "Why don't I tell you a story?"

.

* * *

_**.**_

_**~Roy~**_

I sorted through the mountainous pile of paperwork on my desk, feeling more irritated as time passes by. This was taking ages, I neither have the time nor the energy to sit here all day looking through some pointless documents. I sighed angrily and shoved all of them into the draw, deciding to get someone else to sort through the mess.

The table wobbled and a stack of paper fell on the floor. Groaning in frustration, I bent down to collect them. And as I slammed them back down onto the table, something fell out from it.

I caught it before it hit the floor and turned it over. It was a picture from years ago and memories came flooding back. I clutched it in my hand, staring at the face that was so familiar it reminded me again of the mistakes I made. A little pain tugged at my chest, opening an old wound. I chucked it into a draw, finding myself unable to throw it out or even forget about it. It was painful to remember, but even more so to forget.

I slumped back down in my seat, all my motivations gone and my mood ruined by one little photograph. I closed my eyes, trying not to think about it, but my thoughts had different ideas. As soon as my eyelids closed, my mind took me back to the one place I never wanted to revisit.

.

* * *

_**.**_

_**~Emma~**_

"It was probably about two, three years ago," Hughes began, regardless of whether or not I was really interested in it. "Roy was working on a case when he met her. She was from a very prestigious family, good social standing, excellent education background; you know the kind of people I mean."

I nodded, listening intently.

"They were together for a while, and I could tell he genuinely cared about her. But it wasn't enough. She was completely in love with him but … well, you know how he can be sometimes, he wouldn't let anyone come near him, emotionally, and she was no different. She got tired of waiting, I guess, never knowing exactly how he feels and he, being his stubborn self, would never let her know about his true feelings."

"It wasn't anything big at first. She started doing things in order to get his attention; trivial things to begin with, like staying out late, or refusing to answer his calls. I guess she wanted a definite answer from him. Then it escalated when nothing was working. Everything she did made her feel as if they were growing further apart. But she wasn't going to give up, so things got a lot worse, and everyone got hurt."

Hughes paused, reading my expressions. I contemplated his words, trying to imagine the situation as if it was happening to me. But I couldn't. I've never had any experience in this, none of it made any sense to me.

"So … she did something pretty stupid. She … had an affair with another man. It didn't mean anything to her, she thought that it could get some sort of reaction out of Roy, since he never really told her how he felt. She probably hoped that he would finally tell her that he loves her, but it didn't work. Her plan backfired and they finally decided to end all this."

"Roy was the one who took it the hardest, although it was his decision. He felt responsible in a way for ruining their relationship. I know that he really did love her though, anyone could see it, but she was so obsessed with words that it wasn't just enough for him to show it, she wanted to hear it. The same went with all of his previous relationships. It all ended because they were never sure of his feelings towards them."

He sighed, letting me digest the story. Now that I think about it, I hardly know anything about him, and the thought saddened me a bit.

I couldn't believe that such horrible things have happened to him in the past. I've never been in a relationship, nor have I ever fallen in love, so I don't really understand anything. But if so many things happened, wouldn't that hurt a lot? He must be sad … because … he may be strict, and arrogant and sometimes harsh, but … he's not a cold blooded person. He doesn't lie. If I got annoying, he would complain. But he stays by my side all the way through.

It would be so nice if I could fall in love, understand and share his pain, and cheer him up somehow. That's what I thought.

I looked up at Hughes, suddenly thankful to him for letting me get to know Roy better. "I think I understand now," I said slowly, "why he acts the way he does. You're right. He's not a bad person."

Hughes stood up, helping me to my feet. "Well, that's all for today. Would you like to stay for dinner?"

"Thank you, but I'd better get back, I've got a lot of work to do tomorrow."

He showed me to the door; "You know, I think you're very special to him."

My body tensed and I swallowed uneasily, feeling my heart picking up on speed. "What?"

"After what happened with her, I never thought he'd get over it. But for the first time since then, he's finally showing his emotions again. Especially when he talked about you. I can tell, he genuinely cares about you."

I stepped out of the door, thanking both him and Grecia for letting me stay as Chris volunteered to walk me out.

We spent the rest of our journey back in silence while my mind replayed the information Hughes just loaded me with. I tried to ignore his last comment, telling myself that there's no way I could be special to anyone. But for some reason beyond my understanding, I almost felt … happy … but how does it matter what he thinks of me? Do I care that much about him?

_Yes, Emma_. The voices whispered in my head. _Yes you do._

_._

* * *

.

I waited until it was dark before knocking on his door. One reason was because I know he doesn't usually come back to his room until late at night, and another was to give myself plenty of time to think about things through. Even now when I'm standing right in front of his door, I was still feeling nervous. But too late, I had already knocked, so all I could do was stand on the other side and pray he's not in.

Unfortunately, the door opened just as I was about to leave. I took a deep breath and faced him, putting on my best 'normal' facial expressions.

"Payton, shouldn't you be resting? You've got work to do tomorrow." Roy's voice was emotionless, I had no way of telling whether he was in a good mood or not.

"I, uh, heard you helped Chris find somewhere to stay." I said obtusely, "thanks, I guess."

"Don't mention it," he said in the same voice.

I realised he was waiting for me to say something, so I racked my brain trying to find something less awkward to talk to him about. Why was I here in the first place? Did I just feel like seeing him after hearing the story from Hughes?

"Was there anything else?" He crossed his arms, eyeing me curiously.

Go on, Emma. Just ask him! "Umm … yes, actually. I believe you know Maes Hughes … I actually went to see him today."

He nodded, waiting for me to get to my point.

I swallowed, looking up so that I'm staring into his eyes. "He told me about … what happened with you and … the girl … a couple of years ago…" My voice trailed off as I saw how his face changed, his expressions resembling something close to pain. It was only for a second though, and they were gone the next, but I know I didn't imagine it.

"I don't understand," I continued before he could stop me, "why didn't you ever confess your feelings? And don't tell me you didn't love her, I know you did. You must have."

He stared at me hard and the look in his eyes almost made me flinch. "No, Payton, I didn't. And it's none of your business anyway." He replied coldly, ready to close the door.

I jammed my foot in before he could shut it and held it open, refusing to let the matter go. "I don't understand anything, but I know it must have been painful. Why won't you admit that you really cared for her? That you loved her?"

His grip loosened on the door handle and approached me slowly until we were nearly touching. "Because I didn't," his eyes wavered for a moment but quickly regained its hardness. "Hughes had no right to tell you anything. You're right, you _don't_ understand, so just stay out of it."

The coldness in his voice surprised me, but I was too stubborn to back down. "Then make me understand. You're going to be stuck with me for God knows how long, so you might as well. I'm actually glad Hughes told me, because it feels like I got to know you a bit more now."

"I don't want you to understand, nor do I want you to get any closer to me. So just do me a favour and forget everything he told you." His voice softened a fraction and he backed away. "We're catching the first train leaving tomorrow, go to sleep."

I removed my foot from the door hinge as it shut in my face. His words stung but I also felt another kind of pain. For a moment there, he looked so sad and lost that I was almost angry at myself for being unable to relieve his pain.

Funnily enough, I didn't get any sleep that night.

.

* * *

**So as promised, it's saturday and here's a new chapter! I'm finally going to post regularly again. Been a hectic week here for me, and writing has been my only escape lol. **

**Hope everyone is still enjoying the story - if you have any suggestions or criticisms then please share them. The whole point is for you guys to enjoy the story, so if you feel something is missing do tell me and I will try my best to fix it :D Also, sorry for the extreme amount of angst - as I said, my week has been really bad and I guess my writing sort of reflects it :/**

**xxx**


	8. Chapter 8

_**(Chapter 8 – Underneath)**_

_**~Emma~**_

The train jerked forward suddenly as my head was thrown back against the hard cushion. I tried to hold in a yawn as I rubbed my eyes sleepily, staring out into the dark. It wasn't even daylight yet. That damn Colonel, dragging me out of bed at such unholy hour. Getting the first train my ass! Why couldn't we have waited for the next one?

I looked across to him annoyingly, too tired to complain. Plus, things aren't exactly relaxed between us right now, especially after what I said last night. I wanted to bash my head against the window after reflecting on my behaviour … seriously, who am I to tell him what to do with him own life?

He shuffled in his seat and handed me a stack of documented papers; I took it from him curiously, flipping through the pages.

"Our task," he began, "is to investigate a money leakage in a town specialised in coal mining. Apparently some government parties have been ripping off the villagers, using alchemy as a tool to manipulate them."

I scanned the papers quickly, something about the location, how long it's been going on, people under suspicion and other information. It made me sick to think that some people would use alchemy as a tool to control others; they are a disgrace to all the State Alchemists.

"Why us?" I asked suddenly. "I mean, why me? I've got a mission of my own, and don't you have your subordinates who could accompany you?"

He crossed his arms and sighed, "They had … excuses. Hayate's sick, so Lieutenant Hawkeye is looking after him, Havoc's got a date, and the rest were all absent."

Wow, if I didn't know better, I'd say they were turning him down on purpose. I stole a quick glance at him; he was still looking outside the window as if there were something interesting in the reflection. I bit my bottom lip, trying to act normally around him but it turned out to be impossible after last night.

His face remained emotionless and I suddenly felt angry. How is it that he's able to act as if nothing happened while I'm nervously sitting here? I could almost believe that last night never happened, but his words were too honest and sad for me to forget.

_I don't want you to understand, nor do I want you to get any closer to me. _Is that how he really feels? It must be very painful for him … and lonely. In a way, I could almost relate to him. I never intended on getting close to anyone, and always put on a hard exterior so people wouldn't see how weak I really am inside. So I do understand him a little bit … I can see now how lonely it was for me to pretend like I didn't care. He helped me understand that and I was able to change because of it. It was my turn now to help him.

But … forcing me out of bed before dawn _just_ to get on an early train … I have neither the energy nor the motivation to devise a plan to help him.

"So … explain to me why we're leaving so early." It wasn't a question, he _will_ tell me why I couldn't have spent another few hours in the warm comfort of my bed, instead of coming out here in the cold and dark.

He shrugged, "I wanted to get it over as soon as possible. Is it that important?"

I held in my anger, suppressing my desire to explode. Calm down, just breathe in … and out. So he took away my precious sleep time because he wanted to get the job done quicker? You're kidding me! Like hell I was going to accept such an answer!

"I told you to get some sleep, didn't I?" His smug look returned, "It's not my fault you're tired."

_Oh really? Well, if I wasn't up all night thinking about what you said, then I'd have gone to sleep a lot easier and quicker! So yes, technically, it was your fault. _

I wanted to say it out loud, but I was feeling too tired to start another argument, as if we don't have enough of that already. I didn't want to make the situation worse than it already was, so I told my mouth to shut it despite its protest.

The rest of the journey was spent in silence, both lost in our own thoughts. I wondered what he was thinking about; although his expressions and words never give away any of his real emotions, his eyes were painfully honest. They looked sad and lonely, like a lost little boy. _Was he thinking about the past?_ I leaned my head against the window, closing my eyes. _Is there nothing I can do to liberate him from it?_

I sighed; although it was too early in the morning for my brain to function, I found that all I could think about was him. What the hell is wrong with me? I wasn't like this before.

The day got brighter gradually as we approached our destination, and I wondered if the warmth can melt away the ice walls he purposely built around him … even if a little bit … because … I know how painful it is to pretend everything's okay. And for some reason, I cared about him too much to let him live like this.

.

* * *

.

Right now, I'm feeling _this_ close to smashing my head against that door and stake myself with the wood.

We've been at it for half the morning and were _still_ not getting anywhere. I sighed heavily and leaned back in my seat, contemplating on the meaning of life, since the two men sitting across from me were doing a great job at making me feel suicidal.

Roy was just being his usual self, nothing new, but still annoying as hell. But the man he was interrogating was even worse than he was. That was something I never thought I'd say, and believe me, it was a close call deciding who was worse. I think Mr Gridori just manages to snatch the prize, though.

Three bloody hours we've been sat here in his office, and even an idiot can see that he's been taking money off the poor townspeople. I mean, his office was decorated with so much gold it was fit for a King. So why deny it when it's so clear? Why can't he just admit he's been a corrupt official? That'll make things a whole lot easier and I could be on the next train back to my bed.

Unfortunately, this was really not my day.

"Mr Gridori," Roy began after the millionth time, I'm surprised he's kept his patience. "I'm sure you understand our position. We have received a call reporting on the … offences you may have committed. We would really appreciate your help in finding out the truth behind the rumours."

I wanted to stand up, punch Gridori in the face and make him confess. Like how I've been taught, shoot first and ask later. Well, in my case, beat the shit out of him. Seriously, how can Roy be so patient with the guy? It's obvious he stole the money! Is he blind?

I shifted in my seat agitatedly and caught Roy's attention. He sighed, eyeing me not to make a move. I rolled my eyes and gestured for him to hurry up. I do not have the time to play nice. All I wanted was to sleep.

"Mr Gridori, we have no choice but to take things into our own hands from now." Roy stood up, and I sighed in relief. Thank God, we can finally leave this place. "If there is any truth behind the rumours, I'm afraid you will need to come back with us to Central, regrettably."

I chuckled under my breath, he didn't sound regrettable. Gridori didn't say anything, just grumbled something that could be taken either way. We marched out of his glamorous office, and it was like descending from heaven to hell. Outside, the houses were dull and poorly built on muddy ground with uneven bricks. Did Gridori seriously think we wouldn't notice the difference? It was like walking out of a King's office to a battlefield. And that's not even an exaggeration.

"What do you think, Payton?" He asked casually, as if we were only talking about the weather.

I stared at him wide eyed; "Well, evidently, he's guilty. Wasn't that obvious?"

He turned to face me, probably not exactly happy at my remark. "We still need concrete evidence."

I stopped in my tracks and stretched out my arm to the building behind me, "Is this not enough? The guy practically lives in a castle!"

Roy shrugged, "That's not to say he stole the money."

"Oh so he just _happened_ to find it hidden underground then?" I crossed my arms, he was unbelievable! How can anyone work with him? I suddenly thought of Riza and Havoc and felt sorry for them, how do they manage to put up with him everytime?

"How could you be so … cold towards it? Don't you care what happens to the villagers?" I asked furiously, regretting my words as soon as they came out but it was too late. I knew why he was like this … he probably doesn't want to feel anything after what happened in the past but … that's still no reason to be so unbothered by everything.

"Sorry," I mumbled an apology although it wasn't entirely sincere. "But seriously, you can't just remove your emotions from everything. I know … well, I can sort of imagine how painful it must have been but, the past is the past and–"

"I told you to drop it last night, didn't I?" He snapped, "Why do you care? It's none of your business, so don't bring that up again. And it has nothing to do with this."

It has everything to do with this! I was feeling so annoyed that I couldn't think logically anymore. "Fine! You want evidence? I'll definitely find them!" I strode in the opposite direction, determined to get this case sorted and have Gridori arrested as soon as possible.

But it wasn't long before I was lost.

I stopped in my tracks, sighing in defeat and feeling pathetic for always ending up in this kind of situation. I tried to retrace my steps but the identical blocks of buildings made it impossible. Even the pedestrians looked the same to me! It was almost laughable, that as the most talented alchemist, I had the worst navigation skills. Even if I were to be given a map I doubt I can trace back to my starting point. I remembered back to the one time in my training when I had been sent on a long walk with nothing more than a map. Obviously, I was so completely lost that it took three search parties a week to find me. Only afterwards did I realise that I had gone way off the map; if I had kept walking I'd probably have ended up in a different country.

Being lost didn't worry me too much now though, since finding evidence wouldn't be hard anyway. I mean, which bit wasn't obvious enough to prove he's guilty anyway? It's almost as if he's putting up a huge sign on his forehead saying '_I'm the one who stole the money! Come get me!'_

The day was turning cloudy and I was worried that it might rain. Maybe I should just swallow my pride and ask someone for directions.

No! I will find the way back by myself! I decided; besides, I wasn't really in a hurry to meet Colonel Asshole anyway. I found myself a bench and decided to rest there for a while, at least until I've got my energy back or stopped being so mad at him. I sighed, slumping down on the wood and rested my head back.

Maybe he was right. Maybe it was none of my business. But I found that I couldn't just let it slide. I don't care if I'm being annoying or bothersome, I just wanted to understand him and … maybe even help him a little. Was I being too naïve again? Doesn't he realise that I care about him even though I didn't want to admit it myself?

And why is this the only thing I could think about right now?

_Seriously, Emma, don't you have more important issues at hand than worrying over your boss? Like, for example, you haven't really made any progress on finding your family's killer after you've been in Central. It's been 3 months already and you haven't even made a move yet. _

I told the voices to shut it, but they never listen to me.

The memory of the look in Roy's eyes sent chills down me. They weren't angry or sad, in fact, I couldn't see any emotions behind his eyes. That was worse in a way, maybe he was holding it back. Then … does that mean he still cares about the past? Is he still … in love with her?

The thought of that stirred up a surprising emotion inside me; something close to anger but also a tint of sadness. Jealousy? No, don't be stupid. Why the heck should I be jealous? It's not like he means anything to me, or that I'm anything special to him. _Don't think about this anymore! Think about something else … yes, you should go and find evidence. That's right, complete this task and get back on track with your own mission!_

"May I sit here?"

My neck snapped up and clicked loudly as a young woman approached me, smiling kindly and pointing at the empty spot next to me. I straightened up immediately, "Of course!"

I moved across, giving her more room as I inspected her. She was very beautiful, and elegant to say the least. I'll bet all my money that she's some Lady from a rich family or something along the lines of that. She wore a lovely silky dress matched with a light cardigan despite the fact that it was already early winter. She took a seat next to me and breathed in the fresh air.

"Forgive me for asking," She looked at me suddenly, "you just seem very troubled."

I blinked; how could she tell? Can she read minds? Or were my expressions just that obvious? I have been told that I am very easy to read.

"You could say that," I murmured, cursing the Colonel in my head. Why does he make me stressed out so much anyway?

"Would you like to talk about it?" She smiled politely, "It might help a little."

I considered this, and hey, I had nothing to lose right? It wasn't everyday someone wanted to hear about my problems. Besides, it's not as if things are going to get any worse.

"Well, have you ever been so pissed off at someone but at the same time, you can't seem to get him out of your mind?"

She cocked her head to the side, contemplating my words. "Boy trouble, huh? I'm not exactly the right person to give advice on this but … I know exactly what you mean. He makes you so angry at times and you want to hate him, you even try to convince yourself that you do. But no matter what you try to believe, you always end up caring more about him than you wanted to originally. Am I right?"

Wow! It was really as if she could read my mind! I nodded slowly, surprised at how close she came to describing my current situation. "That's exactly it! He makes me so mad but then he'd do something that changes my view completely. And no matter how he makes me feel, good or bad, I just can't seem to stop thinking about him."

She leaned back and stared up at the sky, smiling nostalgically as if remembering the past. "Have you ever been in love?"

I was surprised at her sudden change in topic and I shook my head. Hell, I grew up in the military, and for the last ten years the only thing on my mind was how to become stronger so I can finally avenge my family. Love was somewhere at the very bottom of my list. It probably was never on my list in the first place.

"Never?" She was the one who seemed surprised as she stared at me for a while. "Wow, a pretty girl like you as well!"

I blushed at her comment, not really certain of how to come up with a reply. I couldn't exactly tell her that I never really had the opportunity since my day was only ever made up of two things. Training, and research.

"Could it be that … you're actually in love with him?"

My body tensed at her words and I shook my hands frantically in the air, my mouth dropping in horror. "NO! No way! Absolutely not!" Why does everyone assume that? First Hughes, then this strange woman!

She giggled quietly, even her gestures were sophisticated and polite. "How suspicious! You didn't have to deny it so strongly." She looked up at the sky once again, her eyes gazing into the distance. "It's a wonderful thing to be in love, it's the happiest feeling you will ever experience. But … it can also be very painful."

I stole a glance at her, her eyes seemed sad and distant, as if reminiscing the old days, and I wondered if she her past experiences with love had been bad.

"It can hurt a lot, and at times you wonder to yourself if love is really worth all the pain." She looked back down at me, the sadness in her eyes disappearing. "But it is. You may not realise it now, but even if things get tough, don't ever let him go. The pain you experience from losing your love is far greater than the pain of being in love. So … will you do me a favour?"

I nodded silently, she seemed nice enough and after hearing my troubles, I should at least hear her out.

"Even though he gets on your nerves and do things that makes you sad, remember to never give up. Men say things they don't mean, or sometimes, they don't say things that need to be said. Still, promise me to be patient and keep a hold on him. I don't want you to have to experience the same regret that I … never mind, anyway, that's all I wanted to say."

She stood up and offered me a hand. "What's your name?"

"Emma." I replied and asked for hers in return.

She smiled mysteriously and stepped away from me. "That's a secret. Hope we meet again someday!" She waved enthusiastically and disappeared in the crowded street, leaving me standing like an idiot, wondering what just happened.

Her words had a strange calming effect on me and all my frustration seemed to vanish. Rain drops hit my head and I shivered slightly as the cold ran down the back of my neck. It was probably time for me to go back. I'll come out and look for more evidence once the weather clears up.

As I wandered along the streets mindlessly, trying to retrace my route, I found myself more lost than before. How was that even possible? I swear this isn't even a big town. The weather was getting worse by the minute, turning from a few drizzle into a heavy storm.

I took shelter under an old roof as I waited for the clouds to pass. The street was narrow and deserted and I suddenly felt a sense of claustrophobia.

Slow footsteps approached me and I looked up, coming face to face with a large man, soaked by the rain. I didn't think much of it, he probably just wanted to hide from the rain like me.

"Are you the Elemental Alchemist?" He asked in a deep voice and I froze.

My head snapped up towards him alertly as I backed a few paces away. "How do you know that? Who are you?"

"Found you." His eyes seemed to penetrate me from behind the black glasses. In a split second he disappeared in front of me and I felt his presence behind.

I jumped back just as he delivered a blow into the side of the wall. Good thing my reflexes were good otherwise I'd be splattered flat right now. Before I had time to ask what his problem was, he attacked again, this time placing both of his hands on the ground. The Earth trembled as the ground split beneath my feet.

An alchemist? Well, so am I!

As if coming to my rescue, a gush of wind appeared and I used it to my advantage. Concentrating on its power, I lifted my body up in the air as it landed me to safety a few metres away from the huge hole in the ground. I now realised that this guy was nuts! I had no choice but to fight back, despite the fact that I was already exhausted and not in the mood to use my powers.

Giant tree roots sprang from the ground at my command and flew towards him like daggers, destroying the stone wall barrier he placed in front of him. I knew from his attacks that he was no ordinary person. He dodged my assault quickly and came at me at an incredible speed. I have never dealt with an opponent this strong before and the surprise must have dulled my abilities slightly.

However, I regained my composure quickly and decided to go all out. The rain also worked at my advantage, as I lifted an arm up to the sky and the clouds gathered, and a giant lightning bolt was formed. He must have had only a fraction of a second to react, but he jumped back just in time before the ground was struck with so much electricity that it burned. Giving him no time to react, I placed my hands together again and forced the Earth to split as trees shot up, enclosing him in my own personalised forest.

I breathed heavily, hoping that was enough to restrain him. Who the hell is he anyway? He wasn't like anyone else I've encountered; he was very strong, and his reflexes were probably on par with mine. Better even.

It didn't take long before the trees exploded around him. My visions were blinded as debris circled around me, but I still had perfect hearing.

An attack from above! I heard the swift movement of his feet and sensed his presence above. I ducked to the right as smoke surrounded the street. I was panting up and down; it's the first time I've met my match, and I knew it wasn't going to end anytime soon. Until one of us is completely exhausted, maybe.

As the smoke cleared, I saw the shadow of my attacker emerging. Both of our faces were covered in blood and mud, and I saw that his glasses had been destroyed, revealing a pair of red eyes.

Wait … red eyes, dark skin … could he be an Ishbalan? I only ever remember hearing about them in history lessons … weren't they all destroyed?

I noticed he had a huge scar on his forehead, but before I could take it in, I saw another attack to my right. Tired with dodging, this time I grabbed his wrist and tried to use his size against him. I flipped him down but he regained his footing swiftly.

"You're not bad," he said between his assaults. "But I'm afraid this ends here." He gripped my arm and I knew what he was going to do. Before he had the chance though, I kicked him straight in the face and leapt up in the air, landing a few metres away from him.

This could go on for a while, I thought to myself. But as long as I hold out until someone comes, it'll be fine. The ruckus we made was pretty huge, and it's just a matter of time before Roy or the military hears about this and find us.

Then suddenly I saw something. I couldn't be sure what it was, but I swear it looked like a person. Though another attack from the man prevented me from seeing clearly what that was. I blocked it as my tree roots entangled itself with his right arm. It didn't work for long though, as his arm broke free easily, but it gave me just enough time to see what the shadow was.

And I realised with horror that it was a child. A little boy trapped between our fights.

Oh no! My instinct told me that there was a stealth attack from behind, and I could have easily avoided it, but somehow I knew I had to save the boy first. Without thinking, I sprung a stem from the tree, wrapping it around the child's body as it lifted him up in the air, a safe height from our fight.

Then I felt my bones crush inside as I was pushed against the stone wall. Shit! I forgot about the attack from the back! I realised that I couldn't retaliate without dropping the boy.

His hand grabbed my face as he pushed my head further into the wall; I grimaced as I crumbled to the floor. My energy was slowly draining away and I knew my alchemy wouldn't last for much longer. With my last bit of strength, I lowered the boy safely down across the street as the trees disappeared under ground.

He stood before me like a giant and I suddenly felt completely powerless, and scared. I wiped the blood off my face and tried to sit up, meeting eye to eye with the enemy.

There was something else about him; the murderous intent I sensed earlier on weakened and I felt him hesitate.

"Why did you not defend yourself?" He demanded, his red eyes burning into me.

"I'm not sacrificing the life of an innocent child, isn't that obvious?"

His eyes wavered and I saw him glancing at the boy uncertainly, then his attention returned to me and he bent down. I felt his murderous aura coming back as he grabbed my throat.

"Your kind should be destroyed. Dogs of the military!" He hold tightened around my vocal cord and I winced in pain. "One act of goodness does not make you virtuous. You're still an abomination."

I grimaced weakly, "I know." My comment surprised him as I felt his grip loosen slightly. "I know … that I'm a monster, and you … have every right to kill … me." I coughed as it got harder for me to breathe. "But … unfortunately, I can't … die yet. You see … there's still something … left … for me to do…"

He made no attempt to release me and I gave up on that idea soon. So was this it? Is this the end to my pathetic life?

"Payton!"

The voice I longed for pulled me back from the edge of death as a bullet flew a few inches away from me. The man pulled back quickly, only getting a light graze on his shoulder. I saw Roy standing a few paces away as he fired more shots at my assailant, but his reflexes were too good for the bullets to do any significant damage.

I felt Roy's presence by my side, helping me to my feet. I gave him a weak smile as I realised what kind of state I'm in. "You're late!"

"Sorry," he steadied me but I had no time to scold him since I realised my attacker was still present. I pushed Roy out of the way as I kicked with all my remaining energy, hitting the man in the stomach. It didn't do much good, since he recovered quickly and grabbed me by the hair.

Roy tried to reach me but I threw him a glance, telling him not to attack. The gun was now lying broken under the rubble and I knew his alchemy wouldn't do us much good right now. First, this crazy man who's about to kill me has to be going after State Alchemist, so I can't risk having him know that there's another one here. And second, well, it's raining, and he's pretty useless when it's wet.

Despite the pain, I gestured towards the sky, mouthing to Roy that there's nothing he could do when the weather's like this. He either didn't understand my signal or he was an idiot. Maybe both, since he took out another gun from jacket and aimed it at the man.

"Let her go or I'll shoot." Roy aimed it at the man, and I knew immediately that the weapon was empty. I mean, if it wasn't, he'd have fired shots at him already. The reason he was making threat was probably because the gun was unloaded.

"Reinforcement? Are you a State Alchemist too?"

I grabbed his arm before he could advance towards Roy. "No! He's not! You've got me! Isn't that enough?"

He turned his attention back to me and I suddenly regretted my words. "Don't worry. I will pass judgement to you soon enough." He dropped me to the ground and I felt my clothes ripping as it got caught on the edge of a rock.

"Wait." He crouched down and locked me against the wall, inspecting me. "Where did you get this from?"

I looked down and saw him pointing at the flower symbol embedded under my neck. I stared down, taking in the tiny image as confusion washed over me. What? Is he not going to kill me then?

"How did you get this?" He questioned impatiently.

Good question. That's what I'd like to know as well. All I know is that I've had this for the last ten years or so, as to where I got it from, I was probably just as clueless as him.

"Do you know what this is?" I asked, trying to wriggle free from him. "Tell me!"

He stared at me for a few seconds, as if inspecting whether or not I was telling the truth. Then he stood up and I felt his murderous intent vanishing.

"I won't kill you today." He said coldly, looking down at me. "You are not meant to die at my hands. But if you continue on your current path, there will come a day when you will receive a more deserving punishment." He backed away from us, "If you want to live, discard alchemy, abdicate your position and go back to your normal life."

He placed both of his hands on the ground and the land collapsed on itself, creating a giant void as he disappeared underground.

I straightened myself up, leaning against the rubble for support as I looked down, trying to see where he had gone to but there were too much smoke and wreckage for me to be clear.

"Are you okay?" Roy came to my side and I rolled my eyes. What kind of question was that? I'm about as okay as you can be after being attacked by a strange man who nearly succeeded in killing me.

I didn't answer his question, and replied with another. "Who the hell was that?"

"We call him Scar, although no one knows what his real name is." He stared down at the rubble with me, "He's been going after a lot of State Alchemists lately, two have been killed already."

Whoa! What kind of grudge does this Scar guy have against the military? Wait … he was an Ishbalan … could this be an act of revenge after what happened to his people? I wanted to ask Roy for an answer but knew that right now wasn't the time. As the smoke cleared, I realised the implications of our fight on the town.

At least two buildings have crumbled down into nothing but rocks, it's a good thing they were not in use or who knows how many would have died. The roads were broken beyond repair, and I could hear shouting in the distance. To my relief, the boy I rescued was safe. He looked over towards us from across the street and disappeared quickly.

Great. Not even a thank you, huh? I sighed and turned back to Roy. "So … what are we going to do?"

"I guess I'll call for somebody to come and clean this place up." He replied, looking at me. "And you'd better get your wounds looked at. You look terrible."

Just as he mentioned it, I remembered about my injury and the pain also returned. I really should take more care of my head; it's only been a little more than three months and I've already damaged it three times.

"Well, are you going to stand there all night? We still have things to do."

My thoughts were broken as I saw Roy turning the corner, frowning at me. I caught up with him, trying to ignore the aching pain in my leg, and my whole body to be honest. I groaned, as if I haven't been through enough for one day, and he's going to make an injured person work in this condition?

"Can we not just rest for one night?" I crossed my arms, looking up at him angrily.

He looked amused, "Who said we were going back to work? I meant we still need to find somewhere to stay for the night. And after what just happened, I doubt we'd be welcomed anywhere."

Luckily, there were still good people in this world. After asking around for what seemed like an eternity, we finally found an inn where the housekeeper kindly invited us in. It's a good thing as well, since it was getting dark outside and I'm pretty sure we've missed our last train ride.

First chance I got, I ran to the bathroom. The mirror was slightly cracked but it didn't hinder my reflection. God I do look awful, like a wild beast had pounced on me. I turned the tap on and splashed a handful of water over my face, letting the coldness sink in to my bleeding face. It stung a little but I continued until there wasn't any more bloodstains left.

I walked back into the room and stopped as I saw Roy standing in the room. He took off his wet clothes and hung it by the door, and began taking off his shirt as well.

"Wait!" I pushed my hands out, trying not to glance in his direction. "What are you doing?!"

He frowned, "It's wet."

"I know that!" I coughed, looking down. "Can't you do it somewhere else?"

I could almost imagine him wearing that smug look on his face. When I looked up next he was standing in front of me, looking amused. Just as I was about to shoot an insult, I saw his face change as he stared at something under my chin.

I followed his eyes and saw the little flower embedded in my skin. Oh great, was he wondering about that as well? I genuinely have no idea what it is!

"That … mark," he brushed his hand against it; my body tensed and shivered as I felt his cold touch against my burning skin. "Wait … there's six now?"

He looked up at me demanding an answer, but I was confused as hell. I inspected and realised what he was talking about. Out of the eight petal flower, six of them were stained with a dark red, as if someone painted on my body.

"Remember our first mission? There were only five of them at that time." He grabbed my arms and stared at me anxiously. "What the hell is it? How can it change?"

I wanted to break free from his grips but was rendered powerless. "I don't know." I confessed, it was the truth after all. I had no memory as to when or how I acquired this nor did I know what it meant. "All I know is that, as time goes by, more of it becomes red. I have no idea what would happen once all eight are complete, but … I guess we can only wait and find out, right?" I tried making the atmosphere lighter, but it wasn't really working.

"But–"

"It's fine!" I looked away, not wanting him to see that I'm actually worried about it. "There's nothing I can do, I don't even know what causes it. So…"

"Shouldn't you be more worried? _I'm_ worried about you, Payton."

I swallowed uneasily, feeling the anger rise in me. Oh so now he's _worried_ about me? I felt weak, like there was something burning me from the inside. My head throbbed and my throat felt dry.

"So you can be worried about me, but I can't worry about you?!" I said loudly, my voice hoarse and breaking up. "One minute you're so distant … and cold … and the next … it feels like you actually care. I … I don't understand!" I backed against the wall as I felt the world spin before my eyes. "Don't act like you're worried about me when you're not! It hurts! And why the hell do I feel like this anyway? I don't understand … it's like … these past few days, all I could think about was you! Just who the hell are you … making me so confused … and angry … and…"

I don't know what was happening with me, it's as if I'm not myself anymore. Like there was another person controlling me or something.

He grabbed a hold of my arm and suddenly something warm was pressed against my lips. My eyes bolted open in surprise as I felt Roy's soft lips moving against mine. He pulled away quickly while I stood speechless to my spot. Then his hand reached to my forehead and I heard him draw a sharp breath.

"Jesus! You're burning up!" He picked me up as if I weighed nothing and laid me in the bed. "I'll get a towel."

He left quickly as I stared up at the ceiling, my eyes not focusing on anything and threatening to close. I turned in the bed, the strange sensation of what just happened still lingering on my lips. It was my first time … and why did I not push him away? My heart pounded irregularly in my chest; was it because of the fever? My whole body ached and I could just about hear the door opening. Something cold was placed on my head, but it didn't do anything to numb out the conflicted feelings inside me.

Then thankfully, before I could explode with these overwhelming emotions, I gave in to the merciful darkness.

.

* * *

_**.**_

_**~Chris~**_

"Why are you only telling me this now?"

Riza stood up angrily, crossing her arms in front of her and looking down at me in bewilderment.

I averted her look, "The time wasn't right." I almost regretted telling her everything, all of my secrets, but at the same time, relieved. Now that someone else knows about it, it feels like the weight had been lifted off my chest a little bit.

"Does Emma know about this?"

I remained silence and she took that as a no.

"What?!" She stood in my line of vision so I would have to look at her. "This is serious, Chris! Don't you think you should at least tell her? She deserves that much."

I sighed, standing up and walking towards the door. "Don't you think I know that?" My voice came out harsh when I hadn't meant to take it out on her. "I can't tell her, Riza. How could I? It's going to destroy her."

She hesitated, considering the dilemma. "It's not right to hide it. Chris, it's not your burden to bear, and she has a right to know."

"But that's just it!" I spun around, the memories of the past resurfacing. "It _is_ my burden to bear. It was my fault! How could I tell her that?"

I felt her touch on my arm, suppressing the anger and self-hatred which threatened to take over me. "You can't think of it like that. You were just a kid too. How could you have prevented it?"

"I could have kept my goddamn mouth shut!" The feeling of guilt washed me under like a tsunami wave, and all I could think of was how stupid and naïve I was back then. I let this happen. It was my fault.

After a while, when there only seemed to be silence left between us, I made for the door.

"Are you going to tell her?" I asked, preparing for the worst.

"It's not my place." She replied coldly, "You know that you can't keep this hidden forever. Emma's bound to find out eventually. It could hurt her even more when that time comes. But that's up to you, I guess."

"Thank you." I said quietly and disappeared out of the room. She was wrong, I can keep this a secret, forever if I'll have to. I can't ever let her find out what really happened that day.

I left the building and quickly found myself a telephone box. I dialed the familiar number in my hand and held my breath.

"Yes?"

His deep voice brought shivers to me but I held my ground. "It's me." I swallowed, hesitant but decided that in order to protect Emma, I had to do something.

"Can we meet?"

.

* * *

**Another chapter! Yay! I thought that I've been focusing too much on Emma and Roy so I'd better get the mystery going ;) Hope the story isn't moving too fast for you guys and do tell me if it is. Promise there will be more Emma/Roy moments coming up and there will be an arc dedicated to them, but their story will have to revolve around the main plot and mystery I have planned out :)**

**It's really nice when people reviews, especially with constructive criticisms and it really motivates me to write more often. So thanks everyone and see you all next week! xxx**


	9. Chapter 9

_**(Chapter 9 – Fiery Rain)**_

_**~Emma~**_

I couldn't stop thinking about the kiss. Even as I slip in and out of consciousness, it felt so real and foreign to me that I could still feel the lingering feeling left behind.

My body felt much better but my head hurts even more than before. I knew I couldn't stay asleep forever though, and that at some point, I'd have to confront him about it. Reluctantly, I opened my eyes and was instantly blinded by the darkness when I was expecting daylight. How long had I been out?

There was no one in the room with me, much to my relief. I wasn't sure how ready I was about facing him right now. At least his brief absence will give me some time to think about everything that happened. So … what actually did happen? All I remember was feeling so weak and hot, but shivering at the same time. Then he…

I brought a finger to my lips unconsciously as I felt the heat spreading from my neck to my ears.

_Stop thinking about it!_ I stood up suddenly, feeling the blood rushing to my head_. It didn't mean anything!_ I tried to convince myself that, but a small part of me couldn't help but feel … happy. It was the first time and … to be honest, I even felt a little sad that he pulled away so quickly.

What the hell am I thinking? I shook my head frantically, deciding that I needed to get out of this place. There was a streak of light coming from the corridor and I assumed someone was still up at this hour.

The door creaked open as I tiptoed in the hallway. From a distance, I could hear someone talking downstairs in the telephone box. I stopped momentarily on the staircase, listening intently.

"When did it happen?"

I swear I heard Roy's voice speaking into the phone and my heart quivered a little at the memory of what happened.

"I see. And what about the crime scene…? What? No, it's alright. I'll be down there soon."

It was definitely him, I realised as I approached the bar. The light was dim and the place was completely empty. The pale moonlight was just enough for me to make out his figure, even from the back.

He probably sensed someone behind him and turned abruptly, obviously his expressions told me he wasn't expecting to see me. The phone call was cut short as he walked towards me.

"What are you doing up?" He put a hand to my forehead, brushing away the strands of hair. "You should be resting."

I avoided his eyes, unsure of how to even react. "I'm-I'm f-fine." I stuttered, drawing a sharp breath. What is wrong with me? When I'm next to him, my heart feels like it's about to stop, and I couldn't even breathe.

"Wha-what … uh … what was all that a-about?" I stuttered badly, still staring at the floor. How was I able to act normally around him before? I looked back to all the times we spent together and never before had I felt like this. Even just by looking at me, it's enough to make me feel content and happy. And now, just talking to him is enough to make my heart stop.

He studied my face which was probably as red as a tomato right now. "I planned to tell you this tomorrow." His slowly withdrew his hand from my head and it felt empty where he no longer touched me. "Gridori's dead. Someone killed him. The town's in a mess right now."

"What?" That was enough to bring back the old me and make me momentarily forget about last night. "Murdered? By who?" Well, it was a stupid question. That guy practically ripped off the poor villagers, I can't think of one person who doesn't hold a grudge against him.

"I'm heading down to the scene right now." He paused, looking at me with uncertainty. "I don't think you should come. It's … rather horrible."

I scoffed, my earlier embarrassment all gone. "You think I'd be scared off by some guy's corpse?"

"No," he replied calmly, looking into my eyes with so much depth that I couldn't break away from them. "I'm just worried that it might bring up some painful memories from the past, that's all."

Oh. He's worried that I might freak out because it could remind me of my parents' murder? When had he gotten so … caring? It was a new side to him that I hadn't really noticed before.

"I'm going with you." I said decisively.

He sighed, as if admitting defeat. "Fine, there's no point in trying to persuade you otherwise anyway." He made for the door, stopping temporarily at the entrance as he looked back at me hesitantly, as if he was going to say something but stopped himself before it could come out.

I didn't have the courage to ask him about what really happened last night either. Maybe I should just forget about it. I thought that I _would_ be able to forget it.

But I couldn't. Because, I realised then, I liked him more than I wanted to admit.

.

* * *

.

However much I wanted to deny it, Roy was right. I shouldn't have come.

The first thing that hit me was the smell. A coppery, sickening smell that filled my senses before we even reached the place. The day was getting brighter, but the chilly wind made me shiver unconsciously as I brought my arms up and wrapped it around my body, trying to keep warm.

As we approached the house, it became clear just how serious it was. The whole place was guarded with military personnel and barricaded off from the pedestrians. I followed Roy as we walked into the house.

My nose wriggled at the smell and my stomach churned; it's a good thing I didn't eat anything last night or I might be seeing them again pretty soon. The room was dark apart from a few torch lights shining around. My eyes slowly adjusted and the horror of what lay before me shocked me more than I had expected.

Gridori's body was lying under a blanket, but I could still see it clearly. Blood was splattered all over the surrounding wall, on his desk and the chairs we sat on yesterday. Fresh blood was still leaking out of his body from underneath the cover. I looked away in disgust, trying to stop my guts from spilling out all over the floor. As if it wasn't bloody enough right now.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I could see Roy's staring worriedly in my direction. I swallowed, trying to look unbothered.

Good thing he was too distracted with the body to see that I'm terrible at hiding emotions. He bent down and slowly pulled the cover back, and I made the mistake of not looking away.

Gridori's face was a mess, as if someone had placed a bomb in his head and blew it up. It was barely recognisable. My feet moved itself involuntarily and carried me outside before I could gag. Even the air outside was stained with the same rotten smell but at least there wasn't the image to go with it.

How could anyone do this? Gridori may not have been the most virtuous person, but how could anyone do something so … _cruel_ to another human being? I just couldn't understand it.

I was so absorbed in my own thoughts I did not realise I had company until I was startled by someone tapping on my shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Roy asked, looking concerned.

I nodded, not wanting to look like a wimp, but didn't trust my voice enough to answer him back.

"We think it's Scar's doing." He said emotionlessly, as if there wasn't a dead body lying inside the house right now. "The attack pattern is the same. Same wounds, same method. There's no doubt."

I didn't even bother nodding this time. I don't understand how he could be so detached from everything, like human lives meant nothing to him. However much I hated Gridori, he was still a human being. And to have a life snatched away so suddenly … how can anyone be that calm about it?

A man walked towards us, scanning the crowd curiously.

"Excuse me, are you Colonel Mustang?" He looked nervously in our direction, "There's a phone call for you from Central."

We exchanged a look as I followed after Roy. Phone call? At this time in the morning? From Central too … did something happen?

I had a bad feeling, my heart beating fast in my chest and my palms beginning to sweat up. We walked to the local telephone box as the strange man handed the phone to Roy.

I waited outside impatiently while he took the call, whoever it was from. All the while I couldn't shake off the feeling that something bad has happened.

Pacing back and forth the place, I tried reading his face from outside, looking for clues as to what has happened. But his expressions gave nothing away. I could just about see his face tense up and for a second, I thought I saw his hand tremble a little. I swallowed uneasily and waited for him to hang up.

After what seemed like an eternity, he finally stepped out of the box.

"What's wrong?" I asked anxiously.

He didn't answer, it was like he didn't even recognise my existence as he stared into the distance. Then, after what seemed like an eternity, he gave me a long look and I saw the pained expression on his face.

"What is it?"

"We're catching the first train back to Central." He said softly, looking away from me as I realised that his hands were shaking at his side.

"Hughes is dead."

.

* * *

.

Dark clouds gathered in the sky as if mocking us as we stood solemnly on the gentle slope. The wind was cold and unforgiving, like the black sky above us. Even the flowers didn't seem to possess any of its colours amidst all of this.

The process began quite slowly; a line of men dressed in full uniform approached us slowly from the bottom, each taking a portion of weight from the coffin they were carrying.

I stood quietly behind Roy, occasionally stealing glances at him but the shadows on his face made it impossible for me to see his expressions. In the distance I saw Bradley walking steadily towards us, with neither remorse nor sadness on his stone face. I spotted Chris somewhere among the crowd, standing next to Hughes' family.

An unfamiliar pain ripped through my heart as I saw their daughter, the little girl I wished I could have met under a different circumstance. Hughes was right. She was indeed very beautiful, with large, wondrous eyes filled with innocence, clinging on desperately to her mother who held her tightly in her arms.

As the march stopped in front of us, the men gently laid down the coffin into the pre-made hole. Everyone was present now; Bradley stood a few paces away from us along with some other higher ups, his face clouded in shade.

I glanced up as I saw Riza standing next to me, squeezing my hand in hers reassuringly and I could feel through our contact that she was trembling.

Then came the goodbyes. In turn, we each placed a ring of flowers inside the grave, silently whispering our last words. As I stared down into the great hole, I suddenly felt a surprising wave of sadness and sympathy. I had only met Hughes once, but even from the little time we spent together, he had already left a deep impression in me. It almost felt like losing a close friend I've known for years.

Roy was the last to go; I watched worriedly as I saw him standing silently for a long while before a set of inaudible words escaped his mouth. Then finally, he turned away, looking down so I couldn't see just how much it pained him.

I thought I wasn't going to cry. Hell I couldn't even remember the last time I've cried. But as Elicia, who was still too young to understand, started wriggling in her mother's arms, frantically trying to reach her father, the emotions I felt locked up in my chest almost became too overwhelming. I didn't want to look anymore. Not at the procession, not at how broken Roy looked, not at Elicia with her teary eyes, worrying about whether her father would make it back by dinner time.

I was fed up with all this. Funerals, deaths, the unimaginable and unbearable sadness left behind.

There was no way to cope with that.

Everyone watched one last time as the coffin became deep buried underground, becoming one with the Earth. The last light from the sky also disappeared but tonight, there were no stars. Just darkness, an endless stretch of void staining the sky black.

Slowly, people began making their way back, some even started talking casually as if moving back to their normal daily lives. I shouldn't be surprised. Half of these people here didn't even know Hughes, let alone mourn over him. That angered me a little but I restrained myself from going there and punching them in the faces.

I saw Chris leading Grecia and Elicia away and felt the need to go to them, but stopped in my tracks. There was someone else I needed to stay with tonight.

Roy remained where he was as if he was frozen to the spot, staring down at the tomb like a statue. Riza walked past me, placing a hand on my arm, as if telling me I should leave him alone. I hesitated, looking anxiously at him but Riza shook her head sadly. _He needs to be by himself_. She mouthed quietly, her eyes asking me to understand.

I sighed softly, feeling the ache in my heart return as I followed her back.

The reception afterwards was more painful than the actual funeral. Only a few dozen turned up, some faces I recognise and some I didn't. Chris came back after a while after making sure Hughes' family were alright. Well, as alright as someone can be after attending her husband's funeral.

The room was silent; we each took our seat by the rectangular table with drinks in hand, words unsaid playing in our head. The atmosphere was almost suffocating; I've not experienced anything as devastating as this since … well, since my parents' deaths.

I realised that Roy was still not back. It was getting darker outside and I knew it was going to be a very cold night. A part of me wanted to stay with him … but what could I possible offer that would ease the pain he feels? There was nothing I could do, and that pissed me off so much.

The gathering slowly disbanded, and eventually, it was just me, Chris and Riza left in the room. No words were being said, but emotions hung tightly in the air, as if it could break at any moment.

"We should head back too." Chris spoke for the first time, his voice shaky and uncontrolled. I've not seen him this upset in a decade, Hughes must have been a hell of a person.

Riza followed Chris out, looking back at me carefully.

"You two go on without me." I grabbed my coat from the chair as I headed off into the opposite direction.

Despite Riza's advice, despite the fact that I know nothing I say can help him, I had to find him. Even if I could offer him nothing but empty words that's not nearly enough to fill the hole left behind … even if I'm not needed … even if I end up hurt … I'm going to try anyway. I couldn't just leave him by himself.

Riza was wrong. He doesn't need to be alone. No one wants to be alone at a time like this unless they have no choice.

Roy was still standing in the exact same spot as if he really was a statue. It scared me, how he's dealing with this. It was another side of him I've not seen before.

I tried being as quiet as possible as I approached him, doing my best not to startle him. He didn't seem to notice me, or anything else for that matter. His eyes were so fixed on the gravestone I wasn't sure if anything registered with him.

My mouth felt dry as I swallowed repeatedly. I took off my coat and extended it towards him. He didn't respond, not even casting a glance my way. But I wasn't about to give up after I came all the way back.

"It's getting cold." I said softly as tried to wrap the coat around him. "Let's go back."

Still he said nothing, and I wondered if coming out here was the best decision. What did I hope to accomplish anyway? I understood his pain, and it's not something that can be erased so easily.

"You know, he wouldn't want to see you like this." My voice cracked a little as I felt him shake beside me. Unconsciously, my hand reached out and grabbed his, trying my best to comfort him. I felt his body tense and after a minute, his hand relaxed against mine.

"He must have been a great person." I whispered half to myself, staring at the stone, saddened by the fact that I will never get to know him better.

"He was."

That was the first time I've heard him speak today and my spirit lifted as I realised I was making progress.

"What kind of person was he?" I asked, trying to keep him talking.

He was silent for a while and I was worried he had gone back to silence again. But after a while, I heard him talk. It was so quiet that I had to shut off the outside world.

"He was … always an idiot. Gullible, annoying, meddlesome…"

I chuckled sadly, my eyes wetting up. "Sounds like a great man."

"The best."

I inhaled deeply, tightening my grip on his hand. "You're not alone, you know. Everyone's worried about you. I am too."

For the first time tonight his head moved a little in my direction and I could see him studying me in the dark. I tried to maintain eye contact but found it was a lot difficult than I thought, as I looked away quickly and cleared my throat.

"So let's go back. Everyone's waiting." I loosened my grip on his hand, surprised at myself for managing to get him talking again.

As I turned to leave, he grabbed my wrist tightly and swung me around, crashing my body to his. His arms wrapped around me as he held me close, and I felt his body shaking as if he was freezing. Our proximity was too overwhelming that I didn't know how to deal with it. Surprising myself, I lifted my arms up until they reached his back, stroking it gently as if he was a little kid.

"It's okay. It's okay." I said repeatedly, like he was a child who lost his favourite toy or something. Under any other circumstance, I'd have pushed him away, told him to man up and deal with it, then run back to the house and get some sleep. I just don't understand myself sometimes.

It was the first time I've seen this side of him … his vulnerability … and it gave me a feeling close enough to make me cry. But I endured it, because I know he was enduring it too.

And in that moment, when he held me in his arms, I realised something unexpected and startling. The thought itself was so dangerous that it had been branded as a taboo in my head. Yet these feelings were so strong that I could no longer ignore them.

I think … despite our usual arguments and the complete difference in characters … somehow … somewhere along the way … I may have fallen in love with him.

.

* * *

.

The following few weeks weren't getting any better either.

Most of us had already gone back to our normal lives by then; Chris was thinking about moving out, since it wasn't really appropriate for him to stay there anymore. Although Grecia made it pretty clear that it's not a problem, we both knew it wasn't right.

A new lead appeared out of nowhere for me, and after years of searching, I've finally come across something that might give me a clue as to what happened twelve years ago. Surprisingly, that information was actually given to me by Bradley. I didn't think he cared but I guess I was wrong. Now, whenever I'm free I'd rush back to the library, researching into the new information Bradley had given me.

Philosopher stones. He had called it. I've heard about the stories from the Elrics, and apparently it might have had something to do with my parents' deaths.

The library was literally my new home now. There were too much information for me to sort and … well, it keeps my mind off other things.

Despite keeping myself busy so that I'd have no time to think about other things, I couldn't stop worrying about Roy. It's been nearly three weeks already, and apart from a few meetings he attended, he barely left his room at all.

I sighed, closing the thick book in my hand as I retreated back to my dorm. It was already daylight outside, and I haven't eaten anything since yesterday morning.

I grabbed some bread from the canteen before making my way back into my room. The lights in the hallway were dim; my feet stopped unconsciously before I could reach my room. I stared at the food in my hand and realised Roy must not have eaten anything today. Or any other day, for that matter. I've barely even seen him come out.

It was scary, what I felt for him. I think it was more surprising to me than anyone else, since I had not expected it to happen. Heck, I didn't even know what love meant. All I know is that … right now, he's hurting and there's nothing I can do.

I knocked on the door quietly, twice, and waited behind it with racing heart. I waited a while, and when no one answered I gave the door a little push and, to my surprise, it opened.

It felt bad, creeping into someone else's room but I had already walked in. I poked my head around, looking for him but there was no one inside. Was he out already? Just as I was about to leave, I heard footsteps coming from the other end of the hall and walked right into him.

I took a step back, slightly embarrassed, like a thief caught in the middle of an act. "U-um … sorry … I didn't mean to intrude." I cleared my throat and pushed the packet of food into his chest. "Uh … they gave me an extra one …"

"I'm not hungry." He said simply, heading back into his room.

Against my better judgement, I conjured up enough courage to follow him in, determined not to give up.

"You have to eat something." I persisted. "You've not been eating properly, have you? You can't carry on like this." Great, who am I? His mother?

He stared at me with eyes so cold it sent chills down me, "It's none of your business. I'm not hungry."

It annoyed me how intimidated I feel with him; "I know you blame yourself, but it wasn't your fault!" I tried to get it through to his head for the hundredth time. "There was nothing you could have done. Isn't it about time you forgave yourself?"

His eyes softened a little, not yet warm but it was getting there.

"Please," I whispered quietly, almost pleading. It was unbearable to watch him suffer like this.

For the first time, he looked away first. "Why?" He said in a low voice; "why do you even care?"

_Because I think I'm in love with you._ "I…"

"Just leave me alone, please?"

He sounded so broken that it could have made me cry. "I can't."

"Why?" He suddenly grabbed me by my shoulders, not strong enough to hurt, but I was again rendered powerless against him.

"Because … because…" the words were hanging on the tip of my tongue, threatening to reveal themselves. If it could help him realise that he's not alone … even if I end up hurt … it would be a good enough price to pay. "Because I … like you. I think I'm falling in love with you!"

I regretted the words before I even finished them, but it was too late. I could no longer take them back. His eyes widened at my remark and I could feel his grip loosening as he took a startled step back.

The me from the past would never have said something like this, let alone … feel this. I wanted to slap myself, to turn back time, do anything to make those words unsaid. But it was too late, the damage was already done. I could see his expressions change and knew I had just made a fool of myself.

He opened his mouth to say something but I didn't want to hear it. I knew I was going to be rejected anyway, I didn't want to hear it out loud as well.

Without thinking, I dashed out of the room, not wanting to spend another second there. I ran mindlessly down the stairs and out of the building, not caring where I was going, as long as I'm as far away from him as possible.

Why did I say something like that? I wasn't even sure of my own feelings and yet … the words just left my mouth. I wanted him to know that he wasn't alone, but … it just made everything worse. I knew that look on his face. What the hell was wrong with me? Why did I have to go and say something like that to him? Now things are never going to be the same between us.

I didn't think I'd be that bothered by it, but the fact that the look in his eyes told me he didn't feel the same struck me harder than I had expected. It hurts.

The ground beneath me blurred up as tears threatened to fall, but I wasn't going to let them, especially under this kind of circumstance. I hated myself more than I have ever before.

Why does it hurt so much? Why did I have to fall for him? I wished I had an answer but, just like with everything else in my life, I had none.

.

* * *

.

It wasn't until it was completely dark that I had decided to head back. Believe me, it was not an easy decision. I would rather sleep here on the street than go back and face … _him_. But that's not going to work. I can't hide forever; sooner or later I'd have to face him again.

I groaned inwardly, trying to convince myself that it was all just a bad dream. I'd wake up tomorrow morning and everything will be fine again.

My footsteps slowed considerably as the distance between myself and my room closed in. I was tempted to run away, leave Central and never come back. But that's cowardly. I had just started making progress on my research, I can't abandon it on a whim just because I said something stupid to my boss.

Stupid and reckless and painfully true.

It hit me harder than I had expected, but then again, my experience at being rejected was about as reliable as my experience with love itself. It still hurts though.

I crept quietly along the hallway, trying to make as little noise as possible. The lights were off, which was a good sign. Hopefully he's either asleep or out. I was so close to the safety comfort of my own room when the one thing I dreaded the most happened.

The door next to my room opened abruptly, and a figure emerged, stopping me in my tracks. I jumped back, a little alarmed and my heart sank. I did not want to deal with him right now. Couldn't we just pretend nothing ever happened and go back to how we were before?

"You're back." He said coolly, stating the fact.

I rolled my eyes, trying to forget everything I've said. "Obviously."

"Where did you go?" Again, his voice was flat, revealing nothing.

I sighed, not exactly sure how I should face him. "Nowhere, really."

He closed his room door behind him so we are left in the dark. I couldn't read his expressions from the faint moonlight that illuminated us.

"It's nearly midnight." He sounded worried and angry at the same time.

I shrugged, not sure where he was going with this. So far I was doing a pretty good job at pretending nothing happened between us. Keep this up!

"About–"

"Stop!" I interrupted quickly before he could ask the forbidden question. "Can we not do this now, please? Just … forget everything that happened. I was tired, and … I wasn't making any sense. So … pretend it never happened."

I tried to slip past him but was pulled to a stop as he locked me against the wall, his eyes staring into mine.

"I can't." He whispered softly; his hand brushed my face tenderly, lifting tiny strands of hair away. His eyes were so mesmerising and gentle I felt my body melt by just looking at them. How does he do that? How can he have such an effect on me?

Slowly, he leaned towards me, his eyes never leaving mine. We were so close now I could feel the warmness of his breath on my face. Then, softly, he pressed his lips lightly against mine. Our connection sent an electric pulse running through my body, waking up every nerve. It was so surprising and unexpected that I had no time to think. I felt my body tense and then relax against him, realising that I didn't hate this feeling. No matter how I try to convince myself otherwise, I'm in love with him. I can't deny that.

The moment ended quickly and we both looked away. Even in the dark, I saw a layer of blush appearing on the normally emotionless face of his and I was suddenly pulled into his arms. He rested my head against his chest and placed his hand at the back of my head while the other one went around my waist, holding me close.

My heart pounded loudly against my chest, or was it his? I couldn't tell, it was as if our bodies resonated in perfect sync. Tears threatened to cloud my eyes as confusion washed over me, along with the anger, the relief and happiness. My body melted in his arms, too weak to even stand up by itself.

"I can't give you an answer yet." He whispered into my hair, still holding me tightly. "But … you are important to me. I hope that's enough for now."

I'd have crumbled to the floor if it wasn't for him holding me up. All my confusion disappeared and was replaced with an overwhelming sensation of contentment. My previous fears evaporated and suddenly, it all made sense.

I reached my arms up and tugged myself closer to him, breathing in his comforting scent. I was almost glad he didn't reply right away, it means he was taking it seriously. But everything he has done for me, all the signs he showed me, it was enough for me to know how he felt.

Finally, when the adrenaline in my blood decreased and my heart returned to its normal speed, I found the strength to talk again. "It is enough." I whispered back, my voice barely audible but I knew he heard them. He lowered his head on my shoulder and squeezed me tighter. I knew that he's not the type of person who can put his emotions into words, but it didn't matter because I understood his feelings. They were so warm and kind and I could feel a soft tug at my heart. I'll wait for him, for as long as I have to. Because … that's what love does to people, right?

For the first time, I was glad I fell in love with him. Maybe that strange lady was right, it is the happiest feeling I have ever experienced. More so than when I discovered new leads in my research, or when I earned my first award, or when I passed my exam. It was a feeling incomparable to anything else I've experienced.

After a while, he pulled away, and the air around me felt cold when he no longer held me. I looked down, trying not to meet his eyes as I felt my face burning like it was on fire.

I didn't need to look up to know that he was wearing that smug look on his face again. Great, now he's back to his normal self. So much for all my worry.

"Thank you," He kept his hand over mine as he caressed my fingers tentatively in his.

I looked up frowning, not exactly sure what I have done.

He smiled. A genuine smile, not his usual smirk I realised. "For everything. I never said it, but that night, if it hadn't been for you, I don't know how I'd have coped."

I averted his eyes, embarrassed. "Uh … that's nothing. I'm sure … anyone would have done the same."

"I'm glad you were the one." He released my hand, and I wanted to hit myself for how much I craved his touch.

"I should let you rest." He opened his door and the light flooded into the dark hallway.

I rolled my eyes, failing to hide the sarcasm. I'm not sure how well I'd sleep especially after what just happened, what he told me. He probably guessed that as well, as I saw the corner of his mouth lift, looking slightly amused.

"Just try to get some sleep." He chuckled lightly, and I was so glad to know he was fine again. I know his usual self can be exceptionally annoying, but compared to how broken and shattered he was over the past few weeks; well, I'd take annoying over that any time.

He leaned down and pressed his lips against mine for the second time tonight, pulling away quickly as usual, giving me no time to react. That smug look never faltered from his face.

"Sleep well." He closed the door, leaving me breathless and standing shell-shocked like an idiot.

How the heck am I going to get any sleep tonight? That sly Colonel! He did it on purpose, knowing that would keep me up all night. I sighed in exasperation, feeling determined to prove him wrong. I _will_ get some sleep. I will _not_ let this keep me up all night. And tomorrow, I'd tell him with my head held high that I did _not_ spend the whole night thinking about him.

But when morning came, I was extremely disappointed in myself for failing all three of them.

.

* * *

**AHH, even updating once a week seems to get harder each time...I barely finished writing this last night...now I have two essays and a mountain of readings to do for next week :( If time permits I'll try to update sometime on friday, as I'm going on holiday on saturday for a whole week! Which means there probably won't be an update for two weeks after next week...Sorry! But I promise to add lots of fluff in the next chapter to make up for it! And the end of the next chapter will signal the beginning of a new arc lol :D**

**Hope you're all still enjoying the story as much as I enjoy writing it. Uni life makes it so hard to find time to write...but I love writing them too much to not do at least a few paragraphs each day. **

**See you all next week! xxx**


	10. Chapter 10

_**(Chapter 10 – Ignorance)**_

_**~Emma~**_

I shifted rigidly in my seat, casting my eyes downwards. Guilt, it was the only emotion I felt as I was sitting across from Grecia. I wanted to apologise, but what good would that do now? They're just empty words. Nothing will bring back her husband. Her daughter's father.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Elicia playing quietly with her toys. My bottom lip trembled as I bit down on it.

"Would you like more tea?" Grecia asked in the same kind voice as she stood up.

I averted her eyes, "How are you holding up?" The question was meaningless and stupid, of course she wasn't okay.

She didn't reply, instead she sat back down on the couch opposite me; leaning forward she took my hands in hers affectionately.

"Don't be like that," She gave me a sad smile, her hands so warm it reminded me of my own mother. "You shouldn't feel guilty. It wasn't your fault."

No, it's because he was in the military. That's what he died for – this stupid, corrupted state.

"He … died for the _military_." I made sure that last word was spit out with as much disgust and hatred as I intended.

"Yes, my husband gave up his life for the military." The way she said it was the exact polar opposite. There wasn't a trace of hate in her voice, instead, it almost sounded as if she was … proud?

How? How could she think dying for the state was an honour?

"You know, there are a lot of people in the military worth dying for." She maintained her smile as I slowly raised my head. "He always told me that, so I'm sure that he died protecting something very precious. That's just like him."

I casted my eyes on Elicia, who was completely absorbed in her games. "But … surely nothing is more precious than life."

Her hands squeezed mine, "One day, I'm sure you'll find something you want to protect as well. As for us, we'll be fine. So don't worry about us anymore."

Her words were strangely convincing but it didn't make me feel any better.

"By the way, your brother hasn't been coming home for a few days. I know what he's thinking, but please tell him that he's welcome to stay here anytime he wants."

I couldn't believe how understanding she was. I had expected her to shout at me, to accuse us for being unable to save her husband. Maybe it'd be easier if she did.

I made my way to the door, flashing Elicia a smile and giving her a little wave. She looked up from her toys and returned the simple gesture.

The wind was cold as it blew past my face, reminding me that winter was near. In the blink of an eye, half a year had passed since I first came here. Have I achieved anything since then? Have I perhaps grown up a little bit more?

Hughes' death was like a catalyst, and revenge wasn't the only thing on my list anymore. It strengthened my desire to change this rotting country. Grecia's words ring true in my head; they reminded me that there were people worth protecting even in the military. These powers of mine that have caused nothing but destruction, maybe they too, can be used for the sake of keeping people safe.

With that thought in mind, I tread down the street leading me back to the people I wanted to protect the most.

.

* * *

.

I've always been terrible at guessing people's thoughts, so it wasn't a surprise that I'm sitting sulkily in my room, biting my nail as my legs swung anxiously over the side of my bed.

It has been exactly three days and eight hours since Roy's extremely vague yet surprisingly obvious 'confession', and I've not heard a word from him since. Apart from bumping into each other unavoidably during working hours, we've barely spoken to each other. My insecurities were kicking in again, doubting whether that night actually happened or if it was just a fragment of my imagination. If it was the first, I demanded to know why he has not taken responsibilities for his actions; and if it was the latter, then I desperately crave the help of my therapist.

Just as I was contemplating on my two choices a light knock interrupted my thoughts. I opened the door cautiously, almost stumbling back as I saw the subject of my internal conflict standing on the other side, smiling smugly down at me.

"Wh-what is it?" I looked away, my face burning red. Ever since that night I couldn't gather the courage to look into his eyes, as if my body could catch fire when I do.

My embarrassment seemed to be his amusement as he half leaned against the frame. "Do you have some free time right now?"

"Uh…"

"Great!" He grabbed my hand before I could protest and half led half dragged me down the hallway. "Let's go on a date."

I struggled against his grip; "W-what?! No-no way! Are you kidding?"

He ignored my shouts, his hand wrapped firm around my skinny wrist. "So where do you want to go? The theme park? The shopping mall?"

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" My cheeks were flaming up; his sudden friendliness was something I was not used to.

"The theme park it is then!" He seemed to be replying to an inaudible voice, since I was pretty sure I did not say anything of that sort. It annoyed me, but I couldn't help but feel a little spark of happiness inside me. Right now, it didn't feel like I was the Elemental Alchemist and he was my super arrogant and narcissist boss. It almost felt natural, a normal man and a woman at complete ease with each other.

I sighed. However annoying this may be, I wasn't going to complain. Working for the military meant you could never be sure whether you'd still be alive tomorrow. So might as well make the most of today.

It was hard keeping up with him, I realised, especially with our difference in height. I broke into a run as we hurried towards the station. The day got especially warmer as the clouds in the sky cleared and the sun made its dramatic entrance, but the chilly biting wind acted as a reminder that winter was just around the corner.

I shivered as the wind slipped in from my neck; it was going to be a harsh winter.

But right now, we were both panting desperately and fanning ourselves with whatever we could find as we sat across each other on the moving train. It was a close call, but after trying to run the marathon in just under ten minutes, we finally caught the train as it was leaving the station.

As I could feel my breathing calming down a little, I slumped back into my seat, exhausted already before the day's even begun. I opened one eye to observe Roy, whom I found in the same beat out state as I was.

"That … that was … close…" He puffed heavily against the window, leaving a small patch of steam.

I nodded, unable to speak yet as my mouth was still trying to get oxygen back into my lungs.

He took a deep breath, recovering quickly as he leaned forward, gesturing me to come forward. I rolled my eyes and leaned in cautiously, not allowing myself to get too close to him.

A low chuckle sounded in his throat as he saw my wariness. His hand brushed up against my hair and pulled me closer, placing his mouth just above my right ear, so close that I could feel his warm breath against my scalp. I gulped unintentionally.

"Since it's our precious day off … you know I'm not going to let you sleep tonight, right?" He whispered quietly in my ear, the sweet sound of his voice echoing in my mind.

I pushed him back as my face burnt up in embarrassment. No, that doesn't even cut it right now. I had to turn my face away as I tried to hide my face in my palms; that perverted Colonel Bastard! That's another word I'll add to my list of how to describe him.

It annoyed me more how Roy seemed to enjoy watching my face burn with invisible fire, ironic, isn't it? For a Flame Alchemist.

He suddenly stood up and sat down next to me; I opened my mouth to protest, trying to move closer to the window until I was pressed hard against the glass.

"I don't know what you're thinking about," He smirked innocently, tilting his head to the side, "but it's definitely not what I had in mind."

The flames accelerated as I could almost feel the steam coming out of me; I wanted to slap him but the humiliation was so severe that it rendered my useless. I looked away from him, angrily, planning to ignore him for the rest of the journey.

He gave a small laugh and placed a hand on my head, rubbing my hair softly as if I was an animal in need of attention. "Sorry, sorry. But you were too cute I couldn't resist."

I looked down, thinking that there couldn't be anything more humiliating than this. All he knows is how to tease me. And what surprised me the most was how I didn't even try to stop his attempt at patting my head. In a way, it made me feel happy. The me from the past would never have tolerated something like this. I'd probably be on my way escorted to the prison right now for attempting to murder my boss. But now, after so many things have happened between us, I can feel myself changing.

Whether or not for the better, I had yet to realise.

.

* * *

.

Despite having the image and the reputation of being hard working and straight laced, all of that crumbled as I stood in front of the entrance to the grand theme park. I simply could not resist the atmosphere; it was so very different from the world I live in on a day to day basis. To me, this was heaven.

A couple of kids ran past me, giggling and shouting loudly against the noisy background. I fidgeted nervously in my spot, a little lost about what to do. Sure, I may be experienced in my field but faced with this kind of activity only carried out by normal people in their normal lives, I was as clueless as a newborn.

Roy grabbed my hand as he pulled me towards the entrance, regardless of my silent protest. My heart raced with excitement but my head was not about to give in to the adrenaline.

"Should we really be here?" I asked, thinking back to the mountain of work we have back in Central.

He shrugged, "I'm sure the world won't end if we just took a day off."

_You'd be surprised_. I scoffed, shaking my head_. Last time I checked, the bad guys don't take a break just because we are. Besides, don't we also have Scar to worry about? How can he think about playing at a time like this?_

I stopped my train of thought as I realised Roy's eyes staring teasingly down at me. _Damn him! There he goes reading my mind again!_

"I'm hurt! I thought you'd be happy to spend a day out with me." He said shockingly, though his face remained humorous. "Oh well, I suppose we'd better head back then–"

"No!" I spurted out, only realising I had yet humiliated myself again as I tried to ignore the smirk creeping on his face. "I-I mean … since we're already here … and … it took a lot of effort … I mean … w-we might as well … stay … or not…"_ Shut up! Shut up now! _I wanted nothing more than to just jump into my own grave right now. Perhaps that'll save me from a lifetime of embarrassment.

Roy's face contorted as his hand went over his mouth in an attempt to hide his amusement, but it didn't take long before he burst into hysteria, bending forward as he tried to stop himself from rolling on the floor.

Great! Now I feel like a cheap fists clenched as my eyes twitched, thinking whether or not I should kick the wind out of him in broad day light.

He raised two of his hands in the air as a mean to apologise, although his expressions told me he was still making fun of me. He patted my head for the second time that day, and I really started to wonder whether he sees me as a human being or his pet dog. Probably not the latter, since I knew he and Black Hayate don't get on very well.

"It's been a long time since anyone's made me laugh like that." He said between his chuckles, "You have a very special gift, Payton."

"Well excuse me for being so amusing, maybe I should have taken up acting." I said sarcastically, turning away from him as I made my way into the theme park.

He caught up with me quickly, his footsteps light beside mine and I couldn't help but smile inwardly at how carefree he looked today. Maybe I did a good job in the end; I mean, it's not very often that I see him so relaxed, if ever.

It was hard keeping track of the signs in the crowd. I jumped a little as I felt his hand brushing against mine. It almost felt like he was hesitating, but a moment later, his hand found mine and his fingers wrapped tightly around mine. Despite my better judgement, I didn't struggle or try to wriggle out of them.

I stared at his tall figure walking protectively ahead of me, his hand never leaving mine. It was weird, how happy love can make you feel. I haven't felt this much bliss in, well, ever.

My lips thinned and stretched into a content smile, thinking that maybe I could get used to this after all.

.

* * *

.

"Please? Pretty please?" I pouted, looking innocently at Roy.

He sighed, rolling his eyes. "Why on earth would you want something like that?" He pointed at the starlit necklace which was the object of my admiration.

"Because, we're on a date. Isn't a guy supposed to buy me a present?" I focused my attention back to the silver jewellery. I wasn't normally the girly girl, but this little thing caught my eyes and it was beautiful. Small, bright and fragile.

"Fine, but you're paying me back for this." He handed the coins to the shopkeeper, who wrapped the necklace and handed it over in a bag.

I was grinning like a mad woman when we left the shop, with Roy looking somewhere between annoyed and amused. The sun was almost setting even though it was still the afternoon. The air was turning icy and our breaths became visible. Winter has arrived without any of us noticing. A shiver caught me off guard and I pulled up my coat collar, trying to conserve my body temperature.

"Cold?" Roy asked casually, throwing me a glance.

I shook my head stubbornly, trying to hide my shivers. "No. Not really."

He chuckled; "Your face is turning blue."

"What?" My hands reached up to my face immediately and I could feel the blush finding its way back on my cheeks. If it was blue, it definitely wasn't anymore.

I turned my face to the ground, and felt him shift beside me as we walked. A few seconds later something big and warm was draped over my shoulders. I looked up, surprised to find myself wrapped in his coat.

"Wha-"

"Just put it on." He said nonchalantly, even though I knew he must be freezing wearing nothing more than a shirt underneath.

I hesitantly pulled his coat closer, taking in his scent unconsciously. "Thank…you…" I muttered, burying my face in his clothing so he won't see the embarrassment on my face.

His hand ruffled my hair playfully and took my hand in his, warming them up as we walked. I stole a look at him quickly, his face revealed nothing but I could feel his feelings flowing into me and I was no longer cold. I could almost forget about the tragedies in the past or the battle I will face in the future. This was enough. It was more than I deserved. In that moment I realised how deep I had fallen for him.

"What's wrong?" He asked, looking at me cautiously. "You're being very quiet."

I shook my head, too ashamed to admit my thoughts to him. "I'm hungry. Let's head back."

"Or we could find a place to eat." He looked at me for a second longer than necessary before leading me down another street. "I heard they had the best steak somewhere here…ah! There it is!"

I stared up at the big sign that read 'El Gaucho'; it looked like a posh place and I was wondering how he could afford something like this.

"We can just grab something from the canteen when we get back."

"What are you talking about? It's a date, remember?" He smirked before stepping into the restaurant, with me following nervously. Strange as it were, he quickly strung up a conversation with one of the waitress, whispering something inaudible in her ear that stirred up a jealousy I did not want to admit. A few seconds later we were appointed a table and told our meals will be on the house.

I gaped at Roy in utter shock and awe. The same waitress returned with a pleasant smile that was certainly not directed at me. I rolled my eyes. She took our orders and left swiftly, but not before taking another look at _my_ date. My stomach churned and I gave her my best evil look, then hating myself for being so affected by it.

"What the hell did you say to her?" I hissed, feeling slightly annoyed that he was flirting with someone else when his date was sitting right here.

I regretted my words as his usual smirk reappeared. He cocked his head to the side, looking at me with amused eyes.

"You're not jealous, are you?" His emphasised the 'J' word.

I snorted, trying to keep my cool by looking away from him. "Why would I be? You can flirt all you want for all I care."

The air beside me changed and I found him now sitting beside me. Realising I still had his coat on, I slipped out of it quickly and handed it back to him, avoiding his eyes.

"Don't worry." He said softly, his playfulness gone. "I'm here with _you_, as _your_ date. I only told her to send the bill to Central. Well, Lieutenant Hawkeye's office to be exact."

I breathed out in relief, feeling better now knowing he wasn't flirting with her. Then another problem hit me.

"You know she's going to kill you for that, right?" I stated, Riza can be really scary sometimes.

He winced, probably imagining the different ways she could kill him without him realising. I laughed at his expression, the jealousy long forgotten.

After a moment he stretched his hand out in front of me, gesturing me to give him my bag. I frowned, but did as I was told anyway.

"Turn around." He instructed. I shrugged, turning my back to him. A few seconds later something touched against my neck. I looked down and saw the necklace he purchased earlier dangling at just the right length. His fingers brushed the back of my neck as he fastened the chain. I stayed extremely still, confused as to why he was suddenly being so nice. It was as if he was a different person today. What happened to my arrogant, self-centred boss?

"You're still paying me back for that." He said calmly.

Ok, he's back to his usual self. I take it all back. He was still a devil.

"You're such a-" Before I could tell him just what I think he is, the waitress reappeared. Even though the misunderstanding was cleared up, I still disliked the way she smiled secretively at Roy. Luckily, she brought our meals, so I had no excuse to send her away.

I gave her a forced smile before tucking into the food. It tasted delicious after having just bread for the last few weeks. I gave not thoughts as to how I looked right now, probably like a hungry lion ripping apart its prey. The food was gone almost immediately; I looked up and saw Roy staring me strangely.

Crap. I must have looked like an animal the way I was eating. I gave him a sheepish smile and shrugged. To my surprise he just chuckled quietly and went back to his own plate.

I was completely stuffed after having two more plates plus a warm chocolate cake for dessert. The waitress gave me a disapproved look every time I ordered something else, but I ignored her. She still annoyed me, even more after Roy purposely flashed her a smile as we left the place.

I remained silent on the way back, not even offering thank you when Roy passed me his coat once more. I was so pissed at her, at him, myself and just about everything in the world right now. My grumpy mood didn't go unnoticed though.

The street was dark and deserted, and suddenly I was pulled left into a narrow pathway. Before I knew what was happening Roy had his hands on either side of me, pinning me against the wall.

"What's wrong?" He asked, or demanded more like.

I shook my head, keeping my eyes focused on anything but him. Our proximity forced the blush back on my face.

Without any warning he kissed me almost forcefully. My head clashed against the wall in surprise and I left out a little yelp. Taking advantage of an opening he deepened the kiss, his lips moving against mine in a soft yet hungry manner. My vision blurred as my lungs screamed for oxygen, but I told them to shut up as I immersed myself in this moment. His breath was soft on my cheeks; he smelt like gun powder and shampoo. My hands unexpectedly reached up and locked themselves into his hair, trying to be as close to him as possible as I returned the kiss with just as much force and ferocity.

To my dismay he suddenly broke the connection, breathing heavily as he stared at me with wide eyes. The boldness I possessed vanished and I was left in complete shock over what just happened.

He took a deep, shaky breath. "Christ, I…where did you learn to kiss like that?"

My face flushed even more, though I don't see how that was possible. "I…I don't…" There was no way I could admit to him that he was my first kiss.

He ran a hand through his hair as he composed himself. "If you do that…I…it's going to be a lot harder keeping my self-control."

God I wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole and die right now, I was beyond embarrassed, if I could I'd live the rest of my life underground and never see his face again.

After a few minutes which felt like years to me, he straightened himself and took my hand as we escaped the dark alley and made our way back to the dorm. My face was still burning from what happened, and I swear it was visible even in the darkness.

"Feeling better?" He asked suddenly.

I threw him a timid glance. "What?"

"You looked like you were about to rip that poor waitress' throat out back there." He smirked amusingly. "That's what was bothering you, right? I never took you as the jealous type, Payton."

"I-I…I'm not!" I flustered, trying to defend my dignity, or what was left of it anyway.

"Sure, course not." He slowed down and turned so he was facing me. "But just for your information, you have nothing to worry about." Once more he kissed me, just a peck on the lips this time before pulling away quickly. "Action speaks louder than words."

I stared up at this man that I hated, admired, and loved at the same time.

_Love._

The word hit me like a tsunami, pouring into my body and soul, overwhelming me, possessing me. Could it be that I…loved him? The idea itself was unimaginable…at first, I had thought it was nothing more than a crush. I mean, people have them all the time, right? But now…my heart beats out of sync every time he looks at me or touches me…

"I…" I bit on my tongue, stopping the words from being spoken out loud. It was still too early…I had to be certain of my own feelings first, and there were more important things at stake right now. I swallowed hard. "I think we should get back. You'll catch a cold." I glanced up at him who was clearly trying to suppress a shiver. My stomach knotted at the thought that he must be freezing.

"You know, I'm not actually that cold anymore." I said as I slipped the coat off me, attempting to hand it back to him.

My hand was intercepted half way; "Shut up and put it on." Roy said sternly, giving me a serious look that was flooded with warmth at the same time.

I became quiet, knowing it was useless to argue against him.

_Don't be so nice to me. Don't make me fall even more in love with you. It's not fair. It would be so much easier to end this if you didn't care so much. _

I begged silently, knowing I would ultimately bring him nothing but pain with the burden I carried, and the mission I had to finish. I knew I was no good for him, and I dreaded the day when he would realise that.

.

* * *

_**.**_

_**~Unknown~**_

I watched as they disappeared into the narrow alleyway, my eyes narrowed as a sickening feeling built up in my stomach. My hands involuntarily clenched into fists and I had to hold back an urge to follow them.

A moment later they both reappeared in my field of vision, walking hand in hand down the empty street. The building shielded me from their vision but I could see them clearly. The girl was obviously flustered, her face red as she stared at the ground. Then I shifted my eyes towards _him_…a mixture of feelings rose in me. Hatred, jealousy, and love.

I hated him for leaving me, abandoning me when I most needed him and for what, that _girl_? She was barely a women yet! Why would he want her when he could have had me? How was I inferior to her in any ways?

But despite all, I know I still loved him deep down. God, I don't think I could ever fall out of love with someone like him.

_You are mine._

A dangerous voice whispered in my ears. They approached closer towards my hiding place; I folded myself quietly into the shadows and left the scene, not wanting to see him spending his time with anyone other than me.

I was his love. His first, real love. And I should be his last one too.

With that in mind and a wicked smile forming on my face, I swore I would make Roy Mustang fall in love with me all over again. And this time, nothing is going to tear us apart.

.

* * *

**Ah I have returned from my holiday :) sorry for the delay, but here's a fluffy chapter to make up for it! I have exams coming up in a couple of weeks (my first year of exams at university - yikes!) so I'll be super busy and stressed, but I'll try my best to update as quickly as I can, thanks for all your support and understanding :)**

**xxx**


	11. Chapter 11

_**(Chapter 11– Another)**_

_**~Emma~**_

I tapped my foot impatiently, checking my watch every other second as I peered outside. She was half an hour late. I sighed and sipped on my coffee.

This morning a note was sent to Central, asking me to meet someone in a local café. The hand writing was neat and flowing, and I guessed it had to be a women, someone of a high social standing.

The bell sounded as the door opened. Footsteps approached me and when I looked up, I saw a beautiful lady standing in front of my table, smiling down at me.

It took me a few seconds to register her familiar appearance, and then I remembered. I had spoken to her twice prior, she was the women in the park! It was thanks to her that I finally gathered the courage to confess to Roy…

"We meet again." She said softly, taking a seat across from me. "Hello, Emma. My name is Layla."

I returned a smile; even her name was beautiful. "You were the one who sent me the note?"

Layla nodded, her posture constrained and uptight, giving away her prestigious background and social status.

"I've recently moved here, and you're the only person I know of right now." She bit her pink lips, "So I just wanted to see how you were."

"I'm ok." I couldn't help but feel people comparing us, probably wondering what a beautiful, classy women was doing with someone as plain as me.

"And how are things with him?" She asked, and for a fraction of a second I sensed something in her tone.

I was startled by her question; "Um…ok, I guess."

"Oh, good!" She beamed happily, as if the news just made her day. "Well, since I did in some way help you guys along, you wouldn't mind returning the favour, right?"

Her expectant face left no room for me to refuse. "Of course not. How can I help?"

"Well," She leaned forward, leaning her arms on the table as her hands cupped her petite face. "You may not remember much of what we talked about, but most of my advice for you was drawn from my own relationship. I made a mistake, many years ago, and I lost the one person who I truly loved."

Layla stared at me, her eyes hard and her lips stretched into a thin line. For some reason I felt myself flinch away unconsciously.

"We were meant for each other," she continued. "I knew I messed up, so I gave him time, hoping he would someday forgive me. It was so hard staying away from him, but I knew that in order for us to move on from the past, it must be forgotten. When I thought the time was finally right, that we can at last bury the past and start anew…"

She paused, a strange smile appeared on her face as she stared at me, as if I was the object of her discussion.

"Do you know who I'm talking about, Emma?"

My throat felt dry, there was something strange about her. "No, how would I know? Layla, I would love to help you, but I must get back to work."

I was about to stand up but a hand shot out and grabbed my wrist, pinning me down on my seat.

"Oh but you must have heard of him at least, I mean, you both work for the military. I'd be surprised if you didn't know him."

I felt sick, a few answers flashed in my mind and I allowed myself to believe, just for a second, and it made sense.

"You know who it is. I can see it on your face. Say it, say it out loud." She was no longer smiling, her face twisted into a sneer as her icy fingers held onto my arm.

"This is ridiculous." I pried my arm away from her and got up to leave, refusing to acknowledge the possibility. But the story Hughe's told me before his death…it all makes sense…

"Colonel. Roy. Mustang." She shouted after me, saying each word slowly and carefully, as if it wasn't clear enough already.

I looked back, trying to compose myself as I did not want to give her the satisfaction of knowing how it affected me. Even though it hurts so badly.

"You took him away from me!" She hissed angrily, earning glares from people all around. "He's _mine_, always will be. You're just a _child_! There's nothing that _you_ can do to keep us apart!"

"Have a nice day, Layla." I threw the words back at her before leaving the café. But not before her final words lingered in my ears.

"You're nothing to him! Just a replacement until he can have me again!"

I banged the door behind me, shutting out her angry cries and curses thrown in my direction and walked down the street, trying desperately not to cry.

.

* * *

.

The air was humid and stenches of sweat and odour filled my nose, but I ignored them and continued striking at the punch bag. I was so focused on my task I did not even hear someone come in until he spoke.

"What's gotten you so worked up?" Chris crossed his arm, looking slightly amused, which in a way reminded me a little of Roy. Thinking about him brought up unpleasant memories from this morning, and I carried on punching, as if that could solve everything.

"Hey…Whoa…" Chris moved forward and steadied the bag before I could rip it to pieces. His arms stopped my fists easily and pulled me away.

"What the hell happened?" He asked sternly. "You look like you've been attacked by a ghost!"

I closed my eyes, Layla's words still ringing loud and clear in my head. I wondered if I'd ever be able to get them out. It came as such a shock; Layla…the kind women I spoke to in the past…the one who gave me courage…

I knew I shouldn't let her get to me. I knew better than that. I also know that Roy is not to be blamed for any of this…and yet, a small part of me couldn't help but linger over her words. Was I the replacement? It was silly, stupid even, to doubt Roy's intentions. Despite his sarcasm and arrogant remarks, he cares. I know he does…

Why him? Of all the men and women in the world…why did I get myself mixed up with them? I have a mission to focus on. Since when did I allow myself to be side-tracked? Since when had I fallen so deeply that I almost forgot about the imminent task at hand?

I needed to shift my focus back. One day spent enjoying life meant a day of freedom for the people who murdered my parents. That should be my top priority right now.

"Nothing happened." I finally replied, meeting his eyes, hoping he wouldn't see the doubt in them. "I think I got a bit distracted the last few days. We need to start investigating as soon as possible."

Chris paused for a moment, studying me as if trying to verify that I was really ok. I put on my best façade; he relaxed and I knew I had fooled him.

"That's what I'm here to talk to you about, actually." His cheerfulness returned and he handed me a thick folder. "I've been digging around in places I shouldn't be," he gave me a smug grin. "But! Look what I've found."

He flipped open the first page and the picture of a girl caught my attention. She wasn't that much older than me. I looked down and saw another image that made me catch my breath.

"Chris!" I looked up in alarm. "This is…"

He nodded gravely, his finger pointing to the large central picture of a burnt down house. An enlarged version was presented at the bottom, with the focus shifted to a location inside the house where…I had to take in a deep breath…there was a faint outline of what used to be a transmutation circle. There was no doubt about it! It was the same one found on the ground of our ruined house, surrounded by the corpses of our dead parents 12 years ago.

My eyes glanced over her name: Eria Brauer. Age 24. Family lost mysteriously to fire. Suspected arson but suspects never caught. She was the only survivor.

Even the stories were alarmingly similar to mine, which had also been classified as arson by the military. We knew better though. I saw who killed my parents, right in front of my eyes. Even if I don't remember him or anything else of that night, I'm sure they did not die because of the fire.

"We need to find her." I said seriously, the events from this morning almost forgotten.

"Already did." Chris handed me a piece of paper with a few lines of scribbles. "She lives a few towns away from here. It'll take a day's journey at least. Pack your bags, we're leaving tomorrow."

I swallowed, not knowing how I could face Roy right now after what just happened. "No. I'm ready. We're leaving now."

Chris frowned and I knew he was suspicious again, but I couldn't tell him, at least not now. It was cowardice of me to hide it, especially from Roy, and I knew I was only delaying the time until I have to face him again, inevitably.

"Are you coming or what?" I pulled his arm before he could make me spill the truth. "This is our first lead since we've been in Central!"

.

* * *

.

I dragged my luggage down the stairs with great effort. Chris told me he needed to do something first and to wait for him at the station, which to me sounded highly suspicious but I had no right to question him when I too have been hiding stuff from him. Lately, it seems like we've been keeping a great deal from each other, not to mention that we've barely seen each other for the last few weeks. Ever since Hughe's funeral. I sighed upon this realisation; it feels like we're growing apart.

Roy's office was on the first floor corridor, which put it directly in my route out. My footsteps slowed down as I approached it, and paused when I was standing right in front of the wooden door. I bit my lips, knowing if I left without saying anything it'll only make the Layla situation worse. He had a right to know.

I knocked timidly on the door, not even knowing why I did that since I technically works in this office too. But it brought time for me to change my mind. I heard his voice sound inside and opened the door, taking in a deep breath as I did so.

The room was empty, and Roy was sitting on his chair at the rear of the room as usual, a pile of paperwork spread over his desk. His eyes snapped up as he saw me, a smirk forming on his face but disappeared as he saw the suitcase I was carrying.

"I don't remember sending you on a mission." He frowned, tapping his fingers on the table.

"Uh, no. There's been a new lead…on…you know." I muttered, contemplating whether or not to tell him.

His eyes narrowed as he studied my expressions, and I knew I must have given something away. "I'll be a couple of days." I tried not to give away anything in my voice.

Roy suddenly stood up and walked towards me, stopping until he was our bodies were nearly touching. "Is everything ok?" His eyes stared into mine intently, as if he could force the secrets out of me just by looking.

I swallowed, trying my best to hold his gaze. "It's fine." I added a smile, adding credibility to my answer.

He nodded after a while; "Ok, be careful." He patted my head playfully, like I was a little kid. Layla's words hit me once more…

"_You're just a child!"_

Did he only treat me as a child? Is that what I am to him? A child who needed looking after? It was only last week when we had gone out on a date…and now he seems distant once again.

The dark emotions I felt was overbearing, and I felt the urge to suddenly punch something really badly.

"Bye." I said curtly and left the room, keeping my eyes anywhere but on him.

The hurt didn't disappear when I left the building, and even when I arrived at the train station it was still as raw as before. I tried to calm my breathing, knowing I had more important things to deal with right now. Layla can wait. I'll only be gone a few days, and when I come back, I'll talk to Roy about it.

But I couldn't help but feel that by the time I return, it'll be too late.

.

* * *

.

Chris wasn't kidding when he said it was a long way. By the time we arrived, the sun had just broken through the dark clouds. The cold air attacked us with ferocity, sending shivers down my body.

The town was very peaceful, the streets almost empty apart from a few early risers en route to work. Christmas was less than a month away, and already the shops have put up decorations and lights.

"It should be around here…somewhere…" Chris muttered to himself, studying the piece of paper in his hands. I glanced down at the report again, even though I've read it five times on the train already. Her story came as terrifying as real life can get; it seems like she went through hell and back again, which made me sympathise with her, knowing exactly how that felt.

She was twelve at the time of the incident, five years older than I was, but that didn't mean it was any less devastating for her. Her parents were reported to have suffered excessive burns, whereas the body of her younger brother, who would be the same age as me, was never found. In the end the police decided it must have been reduced to ashes in the fire and the case was closed. But I knew there was more to the story.

The transmutation circle. The mark was faint from the damaging fire, but it was unmistakably real. And if I have to make a guess the one found in our house is likely to be the same. The marks were too faint to identify what kind of circle it was, or what powers it drew, but I had a feeling it was one cause for the evil unleashed that night.

"It's here…"We both looked up to see a small, white semi-detached house towards the rear of the street. I shared an exchange with Chris before knocking lightly on the door.

A young woman greeted us. She looked different to her photograph, considering it was taken twelve years ago, but most of her features remained identifiable. Her hair was long and strawberry blond, and her green eyes looked suspiciously between us.

"Eria Brauer?" I reached for my pocket watch. "I'm Emma Payton, a State Alchemist. May we come in?" I asked carefully, not wanting to scare her off as she was the only lead we have at the moment.

Her fair face scrunched up into a frown, then nodded softly, opening the door wider to accommodate us. We took a seat in the lounge and I opened up her files.

"There's really no sensitive way of putting this," I began, trying to be as gentle as possible. "but can you tell us everything you remember from the night your…um…"

"The night my family were murdered." She finished the sentence off coolly, her eyes looking at me as if asking why I came all the way here when I couldn't even ask her a proper question. "I knew what you wanted as soon as I saw your pocket watch."

"You said 'murdered', but the police reported it as arson and the case was cold." Chris intervened.

Her eyes flicked in his direction. "They were wrong. I remember everything that happened, and I know for a fact that they were killed."

"Can you tell us about it?" I asked, trying not to get her agitated and threw an angry expression at Chris.

She appeared to calm down a little; "That night, my parents came home later than usual. It wasn't unusual, they both work within the government. My brother…" She swallowed and licked her dry lips. "Aldo…he was already asleep. He wanted to wait for them to come back but I told him I'd be here. He was only seven…God…"

I fidgeted in my seat, feeling the uncomfortable air yet unable to offer any condolences. She sniffed quietly. "Sorry. Anyway, they didn't arrive home until midnight. When they got in I knew something was wrong. My father was a military man who wasn't afraid of anything, but he was shaking as if he was having a fit.

"I remember being ushered to the master bedroom by my mother. She told me something bad had happened and that I…I needed to be strong and not leave the room. I didn't know what was happening, not yet anyway. I only remember begging her to stay with me, but she told me she'll come back for me later, and I am not to come out under any circumstances. The door locked behind her as she left and that was the last time I saw her alive.

"The next thing I remember was hearing a loud explosion; the house shook and I crouched down under the bed. Through the gap between the wooden door frame and the carpet I saw flashes of red lights…"

She stopped, and I saw her hands shaking on her lap. My heart reached out for her, knowing what it was like to remember such a traumatic event.

"I'm sorry." She wiped her nose and composed herself. "I…I wish I had done something. The door opened and I saw a group of men dragging behind the bodies of my parents…and…and one of them had my little brother. I couldn't make a sound, so I just watched as they forced Aldo on the ground despite his cries. One of the men started to draw something on the ground, I think I might have recognised it…it looked like a circle or some kind of symbol…"

I quickly drew the transmutation I found in my own house on the back of report. "Is this the one?"

She took one look and nodded. "That's it. And then…they did something with Aldo…he was screaming so much, and then I could see the ground beginning to open up…oh God…the eye…it swallowed him…"

_The eye…the eye…_I felt a gush of cold air as I tried to remember what I had seen on that night, but my memories were still a blur.

"When I opened my eyes again I saw him…lying in a pool of blood, with the disfigured bodies of our parents beside him. I knew he was dead…"

I let the images of my own horror fill my mind, so I can at least appreciate what she was going through right now.

"Then I heard his voice…the man who killed my family. He said 'Another failure'. Does that mean anything to you?"

I frowned, looking towards Chris who shrugged, but his eyes narrowed and I could see his chest rise and fall at a faster rate than normal.

"Thanks…for telling us this." I said, standing up.

"Are you any closer to catch the one behind this?" She asked, looking up at me with desperation.

I wanted to give her a definite answer, or at least something better than I have now. "We will." That was one promise I can give her, because I know it was true. I ill hunt down the ones responsible at any cost. She didn't seem to believe me completely but it did give her some reassurance. We thanked her again before departing the house.

"What do you make of it?" Chris asked as we checked into our rooms.

I sat on the bed and crossed my legs. "We are definitely related in some way; there are too many similarities to ignore. For now, we can deduce that her brother was forced to open the gate, but it was unsuccessful and his life was taken in the process." I stopped, thinking about how I had also supposedly opened the gate to Truth, but survived.

"There's been something bothering me," I started. "The man stated that it was 'another failure'…I mean…are these…murders some sort of experiment? If so…how many others are there apart from us?"

"There's no way to find that out…most records around that time has been destroyed, because of the war and everything."

"Wait…" I jumped out of bed suddenly and flipped open the report. "This happened on the September 5th…a month before us…two families killed within a month…same method…how is that not suspicious? How can the state not notice that there was a murderer running about? Unless…" The answer hit me before I finished my sentence. I stared a Chris in horror, the words dying in my dry throat.

"Unless…the one we are hunting is more powerful than we can imagine. It would make sense…to have the power to seal all the evidence. We've been looking at this from the wrong angle."

I thought twice about what I was going to say, "I think…whoever this man is…he has ties with the military."

.

* * *

.

After a sleepless night and a whole day of train ride, we were both exhausted when we finally arrived at Central. I yawned loudly, almost crashing into an old lady as my eyes half closed.

"Urgh. I can't wait to reunite with my bed." I moaned, rubbing my sore eyes.

Chris rolled his eyes. "Shouldn't you report to your _superior_ before that?"

I frowned at his tone, but his smirk told me that he knew. I looked away blushing.

"What, you thought I wouldn't notice?" He said in amusement, before sighing dramatically. "My little sister's all grown up now…who has time for her good old brother anymore? Oh how my heart bleeds…"

"Shut up." I punched him, not finding it funny at all.

He dodged, his face still laughing at my expression. "Seriously though, Ems. Are you happy? I mean…ok, this is _really_ awkward coming from me, but…does he make you happy?"

I thought about it, and I could honestly say that even though he makes me so mad sometimes, the happy times we've had together outweighs the bad by far. So I nodded, "I…think so…"

Chris gave me a long look, mixed between congratulation and a warning. In the end he simply smiled and shrugged.

The cold air attacked as soon as we exited the station. We hurried our steps and soon we were approaching my dorm. He collapsed on my bed, looking beat.

"Why don't you take a nap here?" I suggested. "I'll go and…walk around…" I trailed off, wanting to go and surprise Roy but too embarrassed to say it outright. He seemed to get the idea though, as he just turned onto his back and muttered something about choosing love over family. I shook my head and closed the door behind me.

I smiled secretly to myself as I thought about giving Roy a surprise visit. Although the matter with Layla still bothered me, I'll tell Roy the truth and we can move past that.

My steps were light as I walked down the corridor, feeling happier than before. We have finally found a lead to go on thanks to Eria, and now we can shift our focus to government officials who were active at the time.

"Emma!"

I looked up and saw Riza walking towards me, carrying a stack of paper in her arms.

"You're back!" It sounded more like a question than a statement, and I saw a little bit of guilt in her eyes. "You should have told me. I would have picked you up."

"Oh no, you're always so busy." I smiled.

"Where are you heading?" She asked, her eyes focused on mine for a second before they looked away.

"I'm…going to the office. Been away for a bit, so better get back to work I guess." I laughed nervously, trying not to let my feelings show. Riza was my best friend, but she has worked under Roy for many years before I arrived, and I didn't want things to be awkward between us.

She nodded, her eyes found mine again and I swear they conveyed some kind of message. A warning maybe?

"What's wrong?" I asked, slightly worried.

Riza hesitated, "Nothing…I'm sure it's all fine. I'd better go, a lot of work to do."

I frowned, staring after her. What did she mean? My heart started to beat a little faster as a bad feeling formed. I tried to ignore it, reassuring myself that nothing was wrong before I entered the office.

My hand reached for the handle and pushed the door open, expecting Roy to be sitting in his usual place at the far end of the room, his head buried under a mountain of paperwork that he doesn't even do himself. But what I saw took me a few seconds to absorb it completely, and when I did I felt an invisible hand reaching into my chest, grabbed my heart and ripped it out of my chest before crushing it.

I so wished my eyes were lying to me, that my lack of sleep was causing a hallucination. Or that this is a nightmare that I'll soon wake up from.

But this was real.

Layla was here.

But what shattered me to the core was the image of her lips tightly locked with Roy's.


	12. Chapter 12

_**(Chapter 12– Mirror Edge)**_

_**~Emma~**_

I stared at the scene before me; it didn't feel real. Layla had her back to me, her hands on either side of Roy as she had her lips pressed tightly against his. Roy looked past her and his eyes landed on me, widening in surprise before pushing her away from him.

I darted out of the room, not wanting to spend another second there. Behind me I could hear Roy's hasty footsteps and his voice, calling out my name. I hated how much I wanted to look back; I hated how the tears were now threatening to fall; but above all, I hated myself.

No matter how fast I ran, he still caught up with me, yanking my arm as he turned me to face him. I didn't want to look at him in the eyes, mostly because if I looked up I wouldn't be able to stop the tears.

"I…I…" He sighed in frustration; clearly he didn't think about what he'd say once he caught up with me. "It's not what you think. Please."

Against my better judgement I met his eyes, and saw a mixture of guilt, confusion and desperation in them. He looked like a deer caught in the spotlight, and under any other circumstances my heart would have fluttered at him.

I swallowed any bitter comments I had and smiled tiredly. "It's fine. You don't have to explain." My voice was low so I don't give away my emotions.

"I…"

"Honestly. I don't care what you do, Roy." I stared into his eyes bravely, "It's got nothing to do with me. I mean…who the hell am I to tell you what to do, right?" I laughed darkly, the hurt in my chest was unbearable. I thought…for a moment, I thought that he really cared for me as someone more than just…his subordinate.

"Dammit, Emma!" He put both of his hands in the air in an act of exasperation. "Will you just shut up and listen to me?"

"It's not like we're dating or anything," I carried on talking to keep my emotions in check. "I thought I knew love, and how painful it can be. But…imagining the pain is different from actually experiencing it."

This was it, I couldn't hold back my tears any longer. Not wanting him to see this, even now, I turned on my heels and ran down the street. I knew he wasn't coming after me. He was a bastard.

I turned the corner, away from the crowd and let my emotions take control. I hated him, as much as I loved him. The thought was funny as it entered my mind. For the first time, I fell in love, and experienced the fun and happiness, even though it was short lived. For the first time, I experienced the pain and sadness of love. And for the first time, I cried because of love.

When had I allowed myself to become this weak? The past me would never have been so affected by this. I promised I would not cry again, and yet…the more I wanted to hold them back the more they defied me. _He's not worth your tears_…the voice told me, over and over again. _Get up, Emma. Get up and move on._

_No._ I shouted back. Because even after what had happened, I still didn't want to give him up. Can I not have both my revenge and the man I'm in love with? Must I choose between them?

As my anger subsided and my head cleared, I tried to gather my thoughts together. I thought about heading back, and at least hear him out. It was all too sudden, and it was the first time I let my feelings take control over my rationality. I knew Roy. His words and actions may hurt me sometimes…but never like this. He would never think about hurting me in this way. I knew I should have let him explain earlier on, but my women instinct was too strong.

I tidied my appearance, having decided to go back and find out the truth. He deserves a chance to explain at least.

"Emma!"

I turned at the familiar voice, finding Chris standing on the opposite side of the road. He beamed brightly at my confused face as he crossed over.

"Chris…!?" I exclaimed in surprise, hoping he wouldn't be able to tell my red eyes. "What are you doing here? Weren't you taking a nap in my room?"

A strange look appeared on his face but was soon gone. "Yeah, I woke up and decided to look for you. I really need to talk to you about something really urgent."

I nodded, even though I wanted to go back to Roy as soon as possible, Chris was my brother and I had to hear him out.

"Let's go somewhere more private…" Chris whispered as he led me away from the crowds. An eerie feeling surrounded me as I observed him walking in front of me, and I knew something wasn't quite right. The way he walked, talked, made gestures…I had known Chris all my life, it'll take a skilled imposter to fool my eyes.

"Who are you?" I stopped in my tracks, my right hand outstretched as lightening sparks appeared around it.

The Chris-look alike turned, a wicked smile forming on his face. Bright lights surrounded his body and his true form was revealed a few seconds later. I stared at the weirdly dressed boy, who couldn't have been taller than me.

"You're not as stupid as you look." The midget smirked.

Lightening sparked out of my hand and missed him by an inch. Damn he was fast. "What do you want from me?"

"Ah, well, nothing personally. You see, you're an important piece in our game." He cocked his head to the side and grinned. "You'll find out soon enough."

I was so distracted by him I didn't notice another presence until it was too late. I looked behind just as a hand slapped my head, flinging me across towards the wall. I felt my back collide and a sickening sound of something snapping in my body. Pain paralysed me and my vision wavered. It was frustrating…a sneak attack like that. I pushed myself back on my feet.

"That wasn't very nice." I grimaced, wiping off the blood tricking down my head. Another figure appeared above me, and I ducked out of the way just in time before her long nails pierced my skin. I felt something blocking the flow of alchemy, and I looked on as my three attackers surrounded me in a semi circle.

"Oh this is just not fair." I sighed, commenting on the fact that I was outnumbered and unable to use alchemy.

"We don't play fair." The dark haired women spoke, her voice luscious and seductive as she approached me. Her long sharp nail scraped against my soft skin, almost drawing blood but not quite.

I knew there was no way out now. All three of them were extremely talented fighters, and instinctively I knew there was something…inhuman about them. I regretted running away from Roy. This would never have happened if I had just been calm enough to hear him out.

But regret wasn't going to help me right now. "So I guess this is the part where you knock me out and take me to your lair?" I chuckled nervously; this really wasn't my day.

The women didn't respond. I felt a sharp hit to the back of my head, followed by a dull pain, then there was only darkness waiting.

.

* * *

_**.**_

_**~Roy~**_

I tapped my foot impatiently, sighing every few seconds as I continued to stare out of the window, hoping she would return soon. It was already dark, but there was no sign of her anywhere. She had every right to be angry, but it was in her nature to confront things, not to run away from them.

The fact that she still hasn't returned must mean something was stopping her from doing so. Sure, she was stubborn, and hot headed, but she wasn't a runner.

A knock sounded at the door as Hawkeye walked in, an arm full of paperwork that I was meant to be doing.

"Sir, you have a guest." She said indifferently, but didn't fail to give me one of her 'you're dead' look before she presented the visitor.

My heart sank as I saw Layla standing at the door way, a secretive smile forming on her face.

"What do you want?" I asked without taking my eyes off the window.

I heard her walking closer until I could smell her perfume. "To see you, of course. And continue where we left off this afternoon…" She sat on the desk, crossing her legs in an provocative manner.

"I'm not interested."

She scoffed, leaning closer. "You seemed pretty keen earlier on."

I stood up angrily, slapping her hand away. "That was an accident. You caught me off guard, that's all."

"Don't tell me you didn't feel something!" She sneered. "Forget about _her_! She could never be what I was to you!"

I narrowed my eyes, "That's what it's all about, isn't it? You knew Emma was going to come. You saw her coming from the window, and planned everything so that she'd walk in at that exact moment." I shook my head in disbelief; all traces of who she once was, the person I had once loved, were completely replaced by a manipulative, scheming woman.

"She's not good enough for you." Layla whispered, "Why? I've waited all these years…I've changed, Roy. I knew what I did before was…horrible, and wrong. Just give me one more chance! I promise I won't mess it up this time."

The phone started ringing on my desk, I picked it up, thankful I wouldn't have to reply to her remarks. An angry voice shouted as soon as the speaker reached my ear.

"Where the hell is my sister?" Chris yelled angrily. "I can't find her anywhere, she would never disappear on me like this! I know she went to see you. What did you do to her?"

She was still not back. It hasn't been that long since I last saw her, but judging from Chris' reaction I knew it was really out of character for her to disappear even for a few hours without telling anyone. I hanged up the phone.

Layla's presence was still in my office. Thoughts of what might have happened to Emma filled my head, and I could feel my rationality slipping away.

I turned to Layla, trying to supress my anger. "If anything happens to her, I would never forgive you." I said coldly, trying to keep my voice steady despite my worry. "I'd leave if I were you. I'm not in the mood, Layla. And you should be very, very afraid of what I might do in this state." My voice was dark and dangerous, even she backed a few steps away at the authoritative tone.

After a stifled cry she left the room, throwing incoherent words behind her. I sighed heavily and sank down in my seat. I stared at my guilty reflection in the window, regretting everything that happened. I should have stopped her when I had a chance, before she took off. I should have been more cautious of Layla. If anything happens…it'll be my fault.

_Where are you, Emma?_

_._

* * *

_**.**_

_**~Emma~**_

I woke up surrounded by the same darkness, and for a moment I wondered if I had gone blind or if I was still unconscious. I sat up carefully, and as my eyes adjusted I could see faint outlines of my surrounding.

Suddenly a figure crouched down in my field of vision, scaring the hell out of me. I jumped back, letting out a startled yelp. He chuckled and I realised it was the Chris-imposter.

"Where am I?" I tried to hide the fear in my voice. I wasn't exactly used to being kidnaped. Bradley would be really pissed off at me if he knew I let myself be captured again. I sighed, it wasn't like they gave me a chance! There were three of them, and they were all stronger than my average foes! Bradley taught me good, but not _that_ good.

"Stop scaring her, Envy." A feminine voice came from the darkness, and the dark haired women from earlier appeared as well.

I wanted to say I wasn't scared, but thought better of it. "Who are you?" I changed the question, wanting at least some response from these weirdos.

"I'm Lust." The women smiled dangerously. "He's Envy, and…Gluttony, what have I told you about not eating our guest?" She looked disapprovingly behind me and I turned, moving to the side just in time before an enormous tongue almost engulfed me. I stared at my attacker, Gluttony, I assumed, and winced as I remembered how I was almost swallowed by him.

"Alright…so what am I doing here?" I swallowed, moving a few metres away from Gluttony.

Lust reached out her arm and cupped my face with her hand, her long nail tracing my jaw line. "Such a fine young women you have become." She purred. "We've known you for a very long time, Elemental Alchemist."

I winced as her nail made a fine cut on my collarbone, drawing blood. Something stirred in the darkness and I tensed.

"Gluttony." Lust commanded, and suddenly the giant monster appeared, his mouth watering as he stared down at me with excitement.

Without warning his hand came crashing down; I rolled out of the way, trying to fold myself into the smoke created by the impact. His footsteps were surprising light for someone his built, and I could just about feel his presence behind me and duck out of the way before he crushed me.

Regaining my balance, I tried to tap into the ground energy, and found that it was back. Smiling to myself I ordered the earth to move as I pleased. Giant tree branches sprang up around me, forming a shield.

The split second after I saw him move, I directed the roots towards his position. But he was fast, it barely penetrated his right arm before he tore it away. I could now see clearly in the darkness as my eyes finally adjusted, and stared in horror as the hole in his arm quickly healed.

How was that possible? I knew my first instinct was right; these people are not human.

If I couldn't defeat him, then at least I can fight for a way out. The roots disappeared underground and a pool of whirlwind surrounded the place. Gluttony covered his eyes at the intense air pressure and I lifted myself up in the wind, looking for an exit from above.

I realised soon that it was the worst decision, as when I looked back down again Gluttony was gone. The distraction was fatal and I was violently pushed down to the ground.

Gluttony had a hold over my arms as he licked his lips impatiently; I saw a strange tattoo located on his tongue but getting out of here alive was my main priority right now. I lifted my leg up and kicked him as hard as possible, managing to free myself in the process.

Before he could recover, electric sparks lit up the room at my command and focused all their energy on him. After the blinding lights, Gluttony stood in a pile of smoke, and even though his body was badly burnt, he once again healed quickly.

"Oh for goodness sake!" I sighed in exasperation, "just die already!"

Gluttony emerged from the debris, looking confused. "That hurts." He sulked, before lunging at me. I was already out of energy, both physically and mentally, and without them I couldn't summon any elements. I could only avoid his attacks, but I knew I wouldn't last long.

"Gluttony, that's enough." Lust commanded and he stopped before he could devour me. Gluttony retreated back to her side but continued to stare at me with hunger.

I struggled to my feet, cursing them all silently.

"You're the only one who's able to stand up against him for more than five minutes." Lust applauded as she walked over to the rubbles. "These are some extraordinary powers you have. He was right, you were a success."

Her words confused me even more, but it also made a connection in my head. Eria's words sounded in my ears… "_Another failure_"…that's what the man supposedly said the night he murdered her family. And Lust just said I was a success? For what? Was there something more connecting Eria and me apart from our families' gruesome murders?

Before I could ask what she meant, the ground rumbled and shook. I felt something stir in the darkness and tensed…this presence was powerful like none I had encountered before. Which is saying a lot considering I was a pupil under King Bradley, the most powerful man in the country.

"Emma…Payton…" A deep voice vibrated among the walls, making it impossible for me to judge the source.

Gluttony looked slightly nervous and Lust turned with her back to me. "Father," she said, "we have brought her here."

I swallowed uncomfortably, scanning the darkness. Then a dim light appeared, almost blinding me after my eyes were accustomed to the dark. In the far corner of what seemed like an underground military base, a figure sat in a strangely designed seat covered in vegetation and pipes. So he was 'Father', I presume. I was too far away to him clearly but his mere presence felt threatening.

"Do you know why you're here, Elemental Alchemist?" He asked, his voice projecting authority and control.

I rolled my eyes; that's what I wanted to find out for the last few minutes since I woke up, but your stupid followers were too stupid to answer me your stupid question. "No." I said, being sarcastic at a time like this was probably not the greatest idea.

"We have heard a great deal about you, and your abilities. It seems…you are able to defy nature's logic and have mastery over the most complicated form of alchemy."

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm flattered. Now tell me what the hell I'm doing here. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Have you never wondered how a mere human like yourself acquired such power?"

Ouch. I think he just insulted the whole human race. "No." I lied. That was a question I asked myself almost everyday.

'Father' raised his hand and gestured for me to come closer. I hesitated, but not seeing any alternative way out I approached him cautiously. His face was wrinkled and partly hidden by his long blond hair. I gulped, feeling surprisingly vulnerable.

"I am Father, and you've already met Lust, Gluttony and Envy. We call ourselves homunculus."

_Homunculus_…I repeated it in my head…why does that sound so familiar? And then I remembered learning about them in one of my history lessons. They were artificial humans created through alchemy, with heightened abilities and regeneration skills. We were told they were nothing more than a fantasy but after what I've just witnessed, it was hard not to believe them.

"What do you want with me?" I asked for the zillionth time.

"You will help us." Lust said, circling me like a predator. It was more of a command than a request for help, clearly there was no room for negotiation.

I sighed, "Ok, with what? And why me?"

"Eternal life." Envy appeared out of nowhere. "Don't tell me you've never thought about that, human." He sniggered tauntingly.

I raised my head at him, "Actually, I haven't." I said with pride. "Live forever? You must be kidding me. I'd rather die young than live as an old hag for eternity."

"What if you could preserve your youth?" Father offered. "Are you tempted?"

I scoffed. "Are you asking me to join you?"

Envy narrowed his eyes, "Don't get so cocky, human." He snapped. "You are not indispensable."

"And yet I'm still alive." I challenged him. "Which means you guys still need me for whatever reason."

"You-"

"Envy." Father silenced him. "Don't get me wrong, human. We are not incapable of disposing you, but it would be a waste especially since you've opened the Gate."

I held my breath; how did he know that? I only started remembering the event not too long ago and the memories were still raw in my mind. I tried not to think back.

"You are a suitable candidate. One of our best. And whether you are willing to assist us or not, you don't really have a choice." Father smiled dangerously. "You see, you've been prepared for this all your life. From the moment you were born, everything had already been written out for you."

I clenched my hands at the side, refusing to believe him. "Why me?"

"It never had to be you. You just happened to be the sole successful and living product of the experiment."

Experiment? What experiment? Questions were building up and I was frustrated at the lack of answers.

"And if you desire, I can even turn you into a homunculus." His hand clenched into a fist and when he released it, a small red stone glowed from his palm. "With the philosopher stone, you can leave your human life behind and ascend to everlasting life. And together, harvest the planet and recreate this world."

I eyed the little stone, disbelieving how such tiny thing could unleash such power. "Ascend? Harvest? Recreate? Don't make me laugh. You think you're a god?" I shook my head. "I've had enough of this. What makes you think, for even a second, that you can convince me to help you?"

As I finished, my hands waved in the air; the ground rumbled and vegetation sprung up beside me, their branches pointing outwards towards the enemy.

"I'll fight you before you can lay a finger on this planet and its people." I said, filled determination.

"Foolish human." Father's eyes momentarily glowed red and a gust of wind blew past me. I was thrown back by its power and felt the alchemy leaving my body.

"It's a shame, really." Father's eyes returned to normal as I struggled to my feet. "But you know too much about us. Gluttony."

Before I could blink I was lifted into the air by Gluttony; he opened his mouth and licked his lips hungrily.

"Hey, can I eat her? Can I really?" He asked impatiently.

Father threw a look at me one last time, as if giving me a chance to reconsider his offer. But I stared back at him and conveyed the refusal as clearly as I could whilst facing imminent death. He got the message and gave a gesture.

Gluttony looked over the moon at his approval and his hand brought me closer towards his mouth. I struggled helplessly, trying to summon my powers but nothing came. So this is the end. I would never find out what really happened in the past. Why my parents had to die. I would never be able to stand before the man who killed them and kill him with my own hands. I would never be able to see Chris again. And Roy…

My body trembled…I'll never see him again. Why didn't I wait for him to explain? Acting like a child…if only I had stayed. If only I had believed in him enough to not jump to the conclusion.

I was already at the entrance to his humongous mouth, I could almost see the endless pit in his stomach and I closed my eyes, shutting out all my regrets and waited for the end.

.

* * *

**A/N: Exams start next week! AHHHH! I've spent waaaaay too much time procrastinating ****and I think the panic is starting to kick in now :'( Anyway, I'll try my hardest to find time to write admidst my busy exam schedule...*sigh*...and I've left it on a cliffhanger too. How evil am I? *hold hands up and bow dramatically*. I never thought this story was going to take this long...honestly I kept adding more and more things into the storyline. I think I can get this story done sometime in the summer, so hopefully you guys will still be around and interested by then lol :p**


	13. Chapter 13

_**(Chapter 13– Fate)**_

_**~Roy~**_

I tapped my fingers impatiently, sighing heavily and glancing at the clock for the millionth time. Emma has been missing for over 24 hours now; I was growing uneasy by the second. Hawkeye glanced over at my desk from her seat, and if stares could kill, I'd be dead about hours ago.

I opened my mouth, attempting to explain myself but she looked away, not even giving me a chance to. Defeated, I went back to the paperwork absent-mindedly.

_Nothing is going to happen to her_. I told myself over and over again, assuring myself more than anyone. _She's just mad, with good reasons. She'll be back soon and yell at you for all that you deserve. _

My mouth felt dry…what if…what if something did happen?

It made me feel sick, the very thought of something…anything…happening to her. The pen dropped from my shaking hand and I took a few breaths, steadying my racing heart.

The sky darkened and gradually, the office emptied until only the two of us were left in the room. I stole a glance towards her, who seemed to be deeply engrossed in her work. Seeing that her gun was strapped on a hanger at a far enough distance, I gathered the courage to talk to her without the fear of being shot.

"L-Lieutenant…" I cleared my throat, trying to sound authoritative but one glare from her silenced me.

She stood up and dumped a pile of papers on my desk with great force, stared at me for a few seconds before turning her back.

"Riza." She stopped. I rarely called her by her first name, and it surprised the both of us.

She didn't turn around but she didn't walk out either. I took that as a good sign. "At least hear me out."

Riza contemplated my words, then turned to face me with unreadable expressions. "With all due respect, sir. This time you really screwed up."

The coldness in her voice didn't go unnoticed, but I took it without complaint. "I know." I said softly, wanting nothing more than to go back and undo everything that happened. "What do I do?"

Maybe she heard the pleading in my voice, her eyes softened a little. "You got yourself into this mess, Colonel. Get yourself out."

_Helpful_. I would have rolled my eyes if I wasn't so worried. "She's not been back since." I stated, biting the inside of my mouth.

There was a long silence, and I could tell we were both trying to convince ourselves that she was just mad, and not in danger. I looked up and saw the same fear in her eyes. Riza Hawkeye. Fear. They did not go together. And now that they did, I knew I should be very, very worried.

"I'm going to look for her." I pushed my chair back and stood up. Not knowing where she was…if she was safe or not…it was driving me crazy.

It wasn't a surprise that Hawkeye followed after me. I could tell she was extremely annoyed at me right now, but I was grateful for her for not saying anything more.

We weren't even out of the front door before Havoc stormed in, looking slightly flushed. He stood awkwardly by the door, scratching his head. Riza threw him a stern look that probably meant 'spit it out or get shot'. He gulped obviously and took a step back.

"Uh…Colonel…you, um…kind of have a…uh…a visitor." He cleared his throat. "A _woman_." He stressed.

_Emma_? I quickly perked up, a sense of relief starting to break through the anxiety. But when I saw the person standing behind Havoc, it was the last person I wanted to see right now.

"Layla." I said in a tight voice. "What are you doing here?" Was my message not clear the last time we spoke?

Riza glared at her with such anger that I thought her eyes were going to bulge out. But Layla barely acknowledge her presence and made her way towards me. Her eyes were red from crying, but the only thing I was interested in right now was finding Emma as soon as possible, and from my point of view Layla was standing in the way of that.

"What are you doing here?" I hoped she realised she wasn't exactly welcome here. Havoc looked between us awkwardly and, knowing he was intruding, quietly escaped through the door.

She pouted and sniffed. "Can't we at least talk?" She begged.

I sighed, knowing I had to talk to her sooner or later. "Not now, Layla." I hope she picked up on the urgency in my voice.

She looked like someone slapped her hard. "W-what?"

"We're busy." Riza spoke up, surprising me. "If you'll excuse us." She glared at the woman one last time before snapping her eyes away and walked out of the door, not even bothering to look behind.

Layla looked at me, hoping I would at least stay. "Please…" She barely whispered.

For a second I almost gave in. Looking at her now…memories of the past surfaced and threatened to sway my heart. But as soon as it came to my head, they were overwritten by thoughts of Emma. Her pulling me back from despair after the death of Hughes…her flustered expression whenever I teased her…our first date…It was as if they were reprimanding me for my moment of weakness.

And now…images of what might have happened to her flashed in my head.

"I have to go." I said, walking past her swiftly. Whatever relationship we had before…it was all in the past. Maybe I did love her, once, but now, I couldn't think about anyone else other than Emma.

Riza was waiting for me by the door; I could tell she was getting impatient. We exchanged a look, and her eyes told me she understood and trusted me. I thanked her silently.

There was no way I could have known about the consequences of leaving Layla behind. So I could not have foreseen how they would eventually come back to haunt me in the future.

.

* * *

_**.**_

_**~Chris~**_

_Beep-beep, beep-beep._

It was picked up on its third ring.

"Yes?" He asked calmly, as if he has no idea why I called.

My hand trembled on the speaker. "Where is she?" I asked, or more accurately, demanded.

He was silent for a few seconds, and I listened to the sound of his breathing on the other end while anger boiled inside me. "Damn you, where did you take her?!" I nearly screamed into the phone.

"I have no idea what you mean." He said indifferently, unbothered by my tone of voice.

I slammed my fist against the wall; now he was just playing with me. "Emma. She's gone. And I know for a fact it's got something to do with you and…your kind."

A pause, then he chuckled. "My kind? Well put. But I can assure you that whatever has happened, I have had no hand in it."

I wasn't going to believe him. I'd be a fool to. Again. "Well if you didn't take her, someone else did. She's been gone for more than a day! I know her! She'd never do anything like this!"

"Do you?" He mocked. "You think you know her all that well?"

"What?"

"Did she tell you what happened yesterday morning? She made quite a scene when she ran out of the building suddenly in tears. I'm surprised you didn't know."

What was he talking about? When Emma went to surprise Roy yesterday…something happened…she was crying? What did that bastard do?

"Emma wouldn't disappear just because of him." I said with certainty. I may not know everything about her, but I knew she trusted me enough not to just run off without saying a word. Unless something had happened. "I don't care what you do. Just…just get her back safe." I swallowed, trying not to imagine the worst scenario. "She's no good to you dead."

He chuckled in amuse. "I'll look into it." Was all he said before the line went dead. I didn't realise I was holding my breath until my lungs burned. Could I really trust him? As ironic as it sounds, he was the only one I could think of to ask for help.

A low, defeated growl escaped my mouth as I stared at the darkening sky. Emma's safety was my priority right now, even if that meant selling my pride and seeking help from the one person I knew I shouldn't. But what would Emma think? _If_ she were to find out the truth…how can she look at me the same way again?

As I left the booth, a pair caught my eyes. A few metres in front of me were Riza and the bastard Colonel. I gritted my teeth and fastened my footsteps towards them.

He turned around just in time for my fist to make impact with his face. My hand burned with friction and I breathed heavily.

I watched as he stumbled back in surprise, his hand covering his now red cheek. He looked up and when he realised it was me, he opened his mouth to speak. But I didn't give him the chance to. I raised my fist again but before it could smash into him another hand gripped mine and snapped it back.

I stared at Riza in disbelief…why is she defending him? Her grip twisted my wrist painfully and she only let go when I finally stopped struggling. I calmed myself, glaring between the two of them.

Roy didn't look like he was angry. If anything, he looked as if he rightfully deserved it. I snorted, at least the bastard have the decency to feel guilty.

He wiped at his mouth where a cut was made. "You have every right to be mad." He began, but was cut short.

"You think?" I yelled sarcastically. "You're lucky I have to find my sister right now, or you'll really be dead."

"Mr Payton." Riza stepped between the two of us, looking at me with authority. I scoffed, since when had she ever called me that? "We all want to find Emma. Please refrain from using violence."

"If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't need to look for her in the first place!" I spat angrily. "I thought I could trust you. I was even stupid enough to ask you to take care of her."

He looked at me with a pained expression that made want to lash out at him more. "The more time we waste here arguing the longer it's going to take to get to Emma." He said almost pleadingly, and for a moment I might have believed that he genuinely cared for her welfare.

"You can beat me as much as you want to afterwards. Just…help us find her." He continued, his eyes begging me to understand. I narrowed my eyes; deep down I knew I was being unreasonable, having not even heard half of the story. Finally I snapped my eyes back to Riza.

"I might have some idea where she is." I said hesitantly. "But it's not a place we can reach."

The two stared at me in shock and confusion. "What do you mean?" Riza asked.

I tried to think of a way to explain it without telling them everything. "Let's just say…I have an idea of who took Emma. And why. But we stand no chance of going there by ourselves."

Roy stepped forward. "Tell me where it is." He said almost demandingly.

"We don't stand a chance-"

"But you were going to go anyway." He stated as a matter of fact.

I had to admit he caught me. Even though I had already asked help from that person, and even though I knew what kind of people…or non-people…had Emma. And as her brother, there was no way I could just sit back and hope for the best. I looked at the bastard in front of me, his eyes were sincere, and it actually made me consider the option of bringing him along.

"I can't promise we'll be able to reach her, or even stay alive." I warned, knowing full well what the dangers were but nothing was going to stop me from trying.

"I'm going." His tone didn't leave room for argument and I found myself question my earlier act towards him.

Riza gave me a short nod, inviting herself in. I sighed, not wanting to put her life in danger but knew that we could use her skill to our advantage.

"Fine." I said finally, glancing at Roy. "And after this is all over, I'm going to beat the crap out of you."

.

* * *

.

Ten minutes later we were back in Central Headquarters where Hawkeye brought us a stash of weapons. I eyed the guns, and then her, reminding myself to never cross this woman. Even though I knew bullets are pretty much ineffective against what we were dealing with, they might buy us time.

I took a deep breath before leading the two of them down the stairs. I knew they had questions, number one being how I knew where Emma was being held. I couldn't risk revealing that to anyone. It was risky enough for me to bring them down here, when no one else was supposed to know this secret. I slowed down my footsteps intentionally, hesitant to lead them to the secret entrance.

Then I reminded myself how selfish I was being. If it meant getting Emma back alive, I shouldn't have to think twice about the consequences of not keeping this secret. After all, _he_ broke the agreement first by taking Emma. Even if _he_ didn't have a direct role in it, _he_ was still responsible.

After descending many flight of stairs, we were now in the underground facilities of Central. I led them through the labyrinth like layout with ease, knowing exactly which way to turn. I could tell the two of them were starting to question how I came to know these things, but they remained silent.

"We're here." I said, placing a hand on the wall. "If you could." I gestured towards Roy's transmutation gloves in his pocket.

He looked at me once, then slipped on his gloves without questioning my strange command. "You two should probably stand back." He warned before raising his hand towards the wall, and with a clear snap, the tunnels were blinded by lights followed by a loud explosion. When I opened my eyes, the wall that was there moments ago had now been blown to pieces, revealing a deeper passage previously hidden by the hollow wall.

"To think this place exists right under our foot." Riza murmured. "How did it manage to stay hidden under one of the most secure places in the country?"

"It's the last place anyone would look." I said simply, stepping into the dark tunnels first. "This way."

"You look like you've been here before." Roy stated beside me, giving me a suspicious look.

I tensed, and I could feel Riza's eyes on my back. I had told her everything a while ago, and I knew she was waiting to see how I would respond.

"Yeah. I have." I decided that telling half the truth would be better than a complete lie. "A long time ago."

.

* * *

_**.**_

_**~Emma~**_

A loud explosion shook the ground just in time before Gluttony could swallow me whole. I breathed out a sigh of relief, but upon realising that he still had me in his grip, that relief was short lived.

The homunculus looked for the source of the noise, but made no attempt to release me. Envy and Lust looked around them in alert, but Father remained seated and showed no sign of surprise.

"You should…probably…check that out…" I choked, trying to pry myself out of Gluttony's grip.

Envy narrowed his eyes at me. "Shut it, human." He directed his attention to Gluttony. "Just eat her already."

I cursed them using the worst words I knew while still trying to wriggle my way out. His grip on my neck tightened; flashes of white appeared in my vision as his strength nearly suffocated me. My lungs screamed for oxygen and I could feel my body being crushed from the inside out. My vision blurred but I could still see his gigantic mouth ready to swallow me whole.

"Wait." A low voice sounded. I couldn't tell if it was Father or someone else. I thanked whoever it was silently as I realised I was literally inches away from being eaten alive.

The room grew silent, but Gluttony made no attempt to let me down just yet.

"How nice of you to join us." I could barely make out Envy's sarcastic remark.

"Father." The stranger spoke, his voice almost inaudible to my ringing ears but they sounded familiar somehow. "…important…role…faith…save…"

My legs kicked helplessly in the air, trying to get down before I pass out from a lack of oxygen. Another loud explosion, this time closer, as a few rubble fell around us.

"Father!" Envy's voice was hard not to recognise, even when I was slipping in and out of consciousness. "You can't…him…know…"

The stranger seemed to say something to him, which silenced him immediately.

After an excruciating minute or so, I finally heard the three words I've been waiting for.

"Let her go." Father ordered, and immediately I was dropped to the ground. I coughed and wheezed, trying to get some air into my burning lungs. My body ached badly and I swear something broke when Gluttony dropped me. Damn the stupid homunculus. Doesn't he know not to drop a lady from so high up?

Footstep approached me. I opened my eyes but the world was spinning in fast spirals; I closed them immediately, trying to stay awake despite the feel of something warm trickling down the back of my head.

I felt someone standing in front of me. Barely squeezing my eyes open, I saw the face that would have shocked me awake if I hadn't been on the verge of death.

The eyes…that's what I noticed first. Both 12 years ago and now. I saw my own reflection in those black pupils…they were cold and murderous and I just _knew_.

I struggled to get on my feet, struggled to lunge myself at him, to claw those eyes out, to push a knife through his heart…the man who I've been looking for. The one who took everything away from me all those years ago. I finally found him! He was right here! I need to kill him.

_Move, Emma._ _Damn it! Kill him! You've been waiting 12 years for this! Now's your chance!_

His hand shot out and covered my mouth, the same gesture he made after he killed my parents. He leaned down, his eyes met mine…in the exact manner as that night. I felt powerless…unable to do anything…again. Slowly, he smiled darkly, as if mocking my weakness.

A muffled scream escaped my throat, and I felt afraid. I was truly vulnerable, with no alchemy to aid me I was suddenly that little girl once more. The child who watched her family burn in front of her eyes, incapable of doing anything.

Like a cruel reminder of the past, his eyes were the last thing I saw before darkness took me. This time, I prayed that I would never wake up.

.

* * *

.

Lust sighed and wiped the dust off her dress. Behind her Gluttony was busy chewing again; she couldn't tell what it was this time, although it did resemble the shape of a dog. Envy sat on the edge of the rubble, an evil smirk on his face as he dangled his legs. She shook her head. They were being so carefree.

She glanced back at the ruins of what was once their secret base, now nothing more than dust and stones. And that wasn't even the worst of the damage, she thought as a smile stretched on her face. There was now a visibly unpleasant pit in the centre of the Military HQ. Well…it wasn't as damaging as she thought it would be, considering they had to blow up an entire underground right beneath the building.

A quiet chuckle escaped her throat as she thought about the shock on their faces when they head to work in the morning only to realise half the building had collapsed by itself. Good thing it was still dark, they'll need some time to find a new base before the sun comes out.

"Damn him!" Envy cursed from where he was, "Now we have to find somewhere else to hide. Why couldn't we have just killed the human? Save us the trouble of erasing all the evidence."

Lust shook her head, the answer was beyond her. Honestly she had never wanted to kill the girl in the first place. She was not yet fully in control of her power…but she could see the potential…it was too good to be wasted.

"Where did Father go?" Gluttony asked as he finished his meal, looking confused at the mess we created whilst he was busy eating.

"Father went to a safe place. It is still too early for him to appear to the world. We will meet up once we have gathered our sacrifices." Lust replied.

"Why didn't you kill them?" Envy accused, huffing angrily.

Lust smiled, "The brother and the Colonel?" She thought back to how they were almost buried under the rubble. "The Colonel is an important sacrifice, you know that. And as for the brother…"

"He's an important piece." A deep voice came from behind them. "And so is the girl."

Envy jumped down from his seat, heading straight for him. "Why did you spare the human? Now she knows about us!"

He chuckled, not at all worried by Envy's remark. "She was born to carry out the success of our plan. She's bound to know of our existence sooner or later. And her brother…he will be very useful in the future."

"Father seems to trust you." Lust said, a hint of cynicism in her voice. "Of course none of us were present at the time of the experiment, but there's no denying that she was a success."

"I still don't feel good about this." Envy said bitterly. "She's…too human. There's no way she could get rid of that."

"Oh I wouldn't be too sure about that." He said knowingly, but did not expand further.

"Anyway, shouldn't we get a move on?" Lust said, breaking the tension between her fellow homunculus. "The sun's about to come out in a few hours, and unless any of you want to explain the mess we've caused…well, I guess _you_ have a reason to stay," she looked over to him, "but _we_ really need to get out of here."

He nodded and frowned at the collapsed building. "That'll be difficult to explain in the morning."

Lust smiled slyly. "We'll leave it to you." And with that she disappeared in the night, followed by Envy and lastly Gluttony, who still looked somewhat confused by everything that's happened.

He sighed, looking down at the rubble but decided that he would think of something in the morning. It was time to head back. He didn't want raise any suspicion to himself, not yet anyway.


End file.
